For release: 10:00 a.m. (EDT), Thursday, April 26, 2018 USDL-18-0636 

Technical Information: (202) 691-6900 • CEXInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cex

Media Contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

CONSUMER EXPENDITURES MIDYEAR UPDATE -- JULY 2016 

THROUGH JUNE 2017 AVERAGE

Average expenditures per consumer unit1 for July 2016 through June 2017 were up 3.9 percent 

compared with the July 2015 through June 2016 midyear average, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

reported today. During the same period, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) rose 1.9 percent and average

pretax incomes increased 0.3 percent. 

Table A. Average expenditures and income of all consumer units

Item

July 2015 - 

June 2016 

Average

July 2016 - 

June 2017 

Average

Percent change

July 2015 - June 2016 

to

July 2016 - June 2017 

Income before taxes........................... $72,990 $73,207 0.3

Average annual expenditures............... 56,258 58,460 3.9

 Food............................................. 7,196 7,407 2.9

 Food at home................................ 4,101 4,121 0.5

 Food away from home..................... 3,095 3,286 6.2

 Housing......................................... 18,495 19,325 4.5

 Apparel and services........................ 1,794 1,771 -1.3

 Transportation................................. 9,225 9,252 0.3

 Healthcare...................................... 4,470 4,710 5.4

 Entertainment.................................. 2,908 2,941 1.1

 Education ...................................... 1,241 1,372 10.6

 Cash contributions............................ 1,813 2,088 15.2

 Personal insurance and pensions........ 6,553 6,938 5.9

 Pensions and Social Security............ 6,221 6,554 5.4

 All other expenditures....................... 2,563 2,655 3.6

Note: Subcategories may not sum to their respective major item category.

 

1 Consumer units include families, single persons living alone or sharing a household with others but who are financially 

independent, or two or more persons living together who share major expenses/ who make joint expenditure decisions.
- 2 - 

Most major components of household spending increased over the 12 months ending June 2017. (See 

table A.) The 15.2-percent rise in cash contributions spending was the largest percentage increase among 

all major components, followed by a 10.6-percent rise in education expenditures. 

Spending patterns, July 2016 – June 2017 compared with July 2015 – June 2016 

 

• Cash contributions increased 15.2 percent. The category incorporates a wide array of giving 

and financial obligations including charitable contributions, support for college students, 

child support, alimony, and other gifts of cash and financial instruments to individuals and 

organizations not part of the household. Contributions to charities and other nonprofit 

organizations, excluding religious and educational, accounted for much of this increase, 

rising significantly over this period. 

• Education spending increased 10.6 percent. College tuition outlays increased 15.8 percent, 

while expenditures for finance, late, and interest charges on student loans decreased 8.0 

percent. 

• Spending on food increased 2.9 percent. The increase was driven by food away from home 

which increased 6.2 percent, while food at home rose 0.5 percent. 

• Healthcare spending rose 5.4 percent to $4,710 for July 2016 through June 2017. Annual 

(calendar year) spending for healthcare has increased every year from 1996 through 2016. 

The most recent midyear increase was driven by an 11.7-percent increase in average drug 

expenditures, a 10.8-percent increase in average medical services expenditures, and a 3.5- 

percent increase in average health insurance expenditures. 

• Apparel and services spending decreased 1.3 percent to $1,771, after decreasing 4.6 percent 

during the previous midyear period. A decline in expenditures for watches and jewelry 

spurred the drop in apparel spending. 

• Transportation expenditures edged up 0.3 percent to $9,252. Within transportation, the 

average expenditures for vehicle repairs and maintenance was up 11.5 percent, an increase 

largely offset by a decline in spending for new cars and trucks. Average household 

expenditures for gasoline and motor oil were essentially unchanged over the period. 

• Personal insurance and pensions expenditures increased 5.9 percent, following an 8.3-percent 

increase during the previous midyear period. The 5.4-percent increase in pensions and Social 

Security and the 15.7-percent increase in life and other personal insurance accounted for the 

growth in the category.

Spending by selected demographics

Data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) measure how consumers allocate their spending 

among the various components of total expenditures. Table B and chart 1 compare the shares allocated 

to selected expenditures by income quintiles. The lowest income quintile allocated larger shares to food 

and housing than all other quintiles. The highest income quintile allocated a larger share to personal 

insurance and pensions (including payments for life insurance, other nonhealth insurance, pensions, and 

Social Security) than any other group. No clear pattern existed for the shares allocated to transportation 

and healthcare among the income quintile groups. 
- 3 - 

Table B. Shares of average expenditures on selected major components by income quintiles, July 2016 

through June 2017 

Item

Income quintiles

Lowest 20 

percent

Second 20 

percent

Third 20

percent

Fourth 20 

percent

Highest 20 

percent

Food.................................... 15.7 13.5 13.6 12.7 11.3

Housing............................... 40.6 36.3 34.2 32.1 30.3

Transportation....................... 14.7 17.1 16.8 17.1 14.5

Healthcare............................ 8.9 9.3 9.3 8.3 6.8

Personal insurance & pensions. 2.7 5.8 9.0 12.9 16.7

Chart 1. Shares of average expenditures on selected major components by income quintiles, July 2016 

through June 2017 

Table C and chart 2 show average expenditures and income before taxes by quintile from July 2016 

through June 2017. Only the highest 20 percent showed a decrease in average household income 

before taxes across the 12 months ending June 2017. All the quintiles showed an increase in total 

average household expenditures.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Food Housing Transportation Healthcare Personal insurance and

pensions

Percent

Lowest 20 percent Second 20 percent Third 20 percent Fourth 20 percent Highest 20 percent
- 4 - 

Table C. Average annual expenditures and income before taxes by income quintile, July 2016 – June 2017 

compared with July 2015 – June 2016 

 

Average annual expenditures Income before taxes

Income quintile July 2015 -

June 2016 

July 2016 -

June 2017 

Percent 

change

July 2015 -

June 2016 

July 2016 -

June 2017 

Percent 

change

Lowest 20 percent $24,020 $26,144 8.8 $11,056 $11,587 4.8

Second 20 percent 35,240 38,187 8.4 28,660 29,414 2.6

Third 20 percent 46,864 48,543 3.6 50,105 51,379 2.5

Fourth 20 percent 63,424 66,532 4.9 82,561 84,924 2.9

Highest 20 percent 111,526 112,845 1.2 192,051 188,676 -1.8

Chart 2. Percent change in average annual expenditures and income before taxes by income quintile, July 

2016 – June 2017 compared with July 2015 – June 2016 

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

Lowest 20 percent Second 20 percent Third 20 percent Fourth 20 percent Highest 20 percent

Percent

Income before taxes Average annual expenditures
- 5 - 

Additional information 

Standard CE midyear tables can be found at www.bls.gov/cex/midyear.htm. Data tables with the most 

detailed subcategories of expenditures can be obtained by sending a request to cexinfo@bls.gov. 

The 1996 through 2016 CE public-use microdata, including Interview Survey data, Diary Survey data, 

and paradata (information about the data collection process), are available on the CE website for free 

electronic download at www.bls.gov/cex/pumd_data.htm. The Interview Survey files contain 

expenditure data in two different formats: MTBI files that present monthly values in an item-coding 

framework based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) pricing scheme, and EXPN files that organize 

expenditures by the section of the Interview questionnaire in which they are collected. Expenditure 

values on EXPN files cover different time periods depending on the specific questions asked, and the 

files also contain relevant non-expenditure information not found on the MTBI files. For releases prior 

to 1996, users can continue to purchase USB flash drives using the public-use microdata order form at 

www.bls.gov/cex/pumd_doc.htm. 

The change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) cited in the text was calculated as the percentage 

change between the 12-month average CPI-U for all items from July 2015-June 2016 (238.251) and the 

12-month average CPI-U for all items from July 2016-June 2017 (242.671). 

The 2016 Annual Report, Consumer Expenditures in 2016, includes a brief discussion of expenditure 

changes in 2016 and tables with data classified by the standard characteristics that are included on the 

website, www.bls.gov/opub/reports/consumer-expenditures/2016/home.htm. Recent CE-specific articles 

in the BLS Beyond the Numbers web report series provide analyses of topical economic issues and long 

term spending trends, as well as comparisons of CE data to other data series at

www.bls.gov/cex/csxwebarticles.htm and www.bls.gov/cex/cecomparison.htm. Additional 

methodological and analytical articles using CE data will be published in 2018. All data published in the 

Annual Report and posted to the website are integrated from the two CE components—the quarterly 

Interview Survey and weekly Diary Survey. 

The 2017 annual news release, data tables, and public-use microdata are planned for release in 

September 2018. Public-use microdata are released on an annual basis.

Also available are the Diary Survey questionnaire and a modified version of the computer assisted 

personal interview (CAPI) instrument used to collect the Interview Survey data at 

www.bls.gov/cex/csxsurveyforms.htm. 

Information on the methodology used to calculate and collect CE data is available at 

www.bls.gov/cex/ce_methodology.htm. General articles and research papers using CE data are in the 

CE research library at www.bls.gov/cex/research_papers/research-paper-catalog.htm. 

The annual CE Microdata Users' Workshop and Survey Methods Symposium will be held July 17-20, 

2018, at the BLS national office. Registration is free. More information and the registration form are 

available at www.bls.gov/cex/csxannualworkshop.htm. 

For further information, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Office of Prices and 

Living Conditions at (202) 691-6900 or by email at cexinfo@bls.gov. Information in this release will be 

made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; 

Federal Relay Service: 1 (800) 877-8339.