1 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Household Spending on Produce 

Before and During Covid-19

Brooke Bahner

Economist

DOL/BLS

03/01/2024
2 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Introduction

◼ Consuming fruits and vegetables is an important part of a 

balanced diet and greatly contributes to good health. 

◼ During the COVID-19 pandemic supply chain disruptions and 

illness disrupted access to produce.

1. How has the pandemic affected produce expenditures?

2. How has the pandemic affected produce prices?
3 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Abbreviations

◼ Food at Home

FAH

◼ Fruits and Vegetables (Produce)

FAV

◼ Non-produce Food at Home

FAH – FAV
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Data and Methods

◼ Data Sources

The Consumer Expenditure 

Survey (CE)

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

◼ Expenditure = Price x Quantity

◼ CE Urban vs CPI Urban

◼ COVID-19 begins in March of 

2020

◼ Nominal and Real Expenditures
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Nominal Expenditures
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Table 1. Annual Mean Nominal Expenditure in US dollars per Urban Household

2019 2020 2021

FOOD AT HOME $4,665.43 $5,000.80 $5,327.81

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES $884.51 $994.83 $1053.69

FRESH FRUITS $327.67 $358.13 $388.12

APPLES $44.14 $50.98 $53.66

BANANAS $43.73 $54.61 $59.60

ORANGES $32.20 $38.73 $43.62

FRESH VEGETABLES $298.39 $315.46 $336.08

POTATOES $44.92 $53.38 $53.73

LETTUCE $30.40 $38.70 $43.92

TOMATOES $48.02 $54.09 $57.92

14.2%

19.1%

44.5%
9 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Nominal Expenditures

◼ Year 1

Produce up 73.5% more

than Food at Home

◼ Year 2

Produce up 9.5% less

than Food at Home

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

2019-20 2020-21

Chart 1. Percent Change in Mean Nominal Expenditure

Food at home FAH - FAV Fruits and vegetables
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Real Expenditures
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Table 2. Percent Change in Nominal Expenditure, Real Expenditure, and Prices for 

Urban Households

PERCENT CHANGE FROM 2019 TO 2021

Nominal Real CPI

FOOD AT HOME 14.2% 6.6% 7.1%

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 19.1% 13.8% 4.6%

FRESH FRUITS 18.4% 13.3% 4.6%

APPLES 21.6% 21.0% 0.5%

BANANAS 36.3% 36.5% -0.2%

ORANGES 35.5% 32.9% 1.9%

FRESH VEGETABLES 12.6% 8.6% 3.7%

POTATOES 19.6% 14.8% 4.2%

LETTUCE 44.5% 33.2% 8.5%

TOMATOES 20.6% 13.4% 6.4%
12 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Real Mean Expenditures for Fruits and Vegetables

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Apples Bananas Oranges Potatoes Lettuce Tomatoes

Chart 5. Annual Real Mean Expenditure for Urban Households in 2021 Dollars

2019 2020 2021
13 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Takeaways

◼ Nominal produce 

expenditures 

25.8% more than FAH, 

and 31.8% more than 

FAH-FAV expenditures.

◼ Expenditure growth slowed 

in the second year of the 

pandemic.
14 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Takeaways (cont.)

◼ Inflation (2019-21)

Food at Home 7.1 percent.

Produce 4.6 percent. 

◼ Quantity of produce 

purchased was more than 2x 

the increase for Food at Home.
15 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Contact Information

Brooke Bahner

Economist

DOL/BLS

www.bls.gov/cex

202-691-7282

Bahner.brooke@bls.gov