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 Technical information:(202) 606-6900    USDL 93-479                                                                                
 Media contact:      606-5902     FOR RELEASE:  10:00 A.M. EST                                                                      
                                  Monday, Nov. 8, 1993                                                                              
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                    
                         CONSUMER EXPENDITURES IN 1992                                                                              
                                                                                                                                    
      Average annual expenditures per consumer unit edged upward in 1992,                                                           
 increasing less than 1 percent from 1991, according to results from the                                                            
 Consumer Expenditure Survey released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.                                                       
 Department of Labor.  Expenditures rose 4 percent in 1991 and 2 percent in                                                         
 1990.  General price levels, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI),                                                        
 rose 3 percent from 1991 to 1992.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                    
      The percent changes in expenditures from 1991 to 1992 varied among the                                                        
 major components of spending.  Food expenditures showed no change; housing,                                                        
 transportation, and entertainment rose about 2 percent; health care rose 5                                                         
 percent; and apparel and services and personal insurance and pensions each                                                         
 fell by 1 percent.  Consumer Expenditure Survey data for 1990, 1991, and 1992                                                      
 are shown in table 1.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                    
 Table 1.  Annual expenditures of all consumer units and percent changes,                                                           
 Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1990-92                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                    
                                                Percent change                                                                      
 Item                        1990     1991     1992 1990-91  1991-92                                                                
 Number of consumer units  96,968   97,918  100,019                                                                                 
 Income before taxes 1/   $31,889  $33,901  $33,854                                                                                 
 Average age                                                                                                                        
  of reference person        47.2     47.5     47.6                                                                                 
 Average number in consumer unit:                                                                                                   
   Persons                    2.6      2.6      2.5                                                                                 
   Earners                    1.4      1.4      1.3                                                                                 
   Vehicles                   2.0      2.0      1.9                                                                                 
 Percent homeowner             62       63       61                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                    
 Average annual                                                                                                                     
  expenditures            $28,369  $29,614  $29,846     4.4      0.8                                                                
   Food                     4,296    4,271    4,273    -0.6        0                                                                
     Food at home           2,485    2,651    2,643     6.7      -.3                                                                
     Food away from home    1,811    1,620    1,631   -10.5       .7                                                                
   Housing                  8,690    9,252    9,477     6.5      2.4                                                                
   Apparel and services     1,617    1,735    1,710     7.3     -1.4                                                                
   Transportation           5,122    5,151    5,228     0.6      1.5                                                                
   Health care              1,480    1,554    1,634     5.0      5.1                                                                
   Entertainment            1,422    1,472    1,500     3.5      1.9                                                                
   Personal insurance                                                                                                               
    and pensions            2,592    2,787    2,750     7.5     -1.3                                                                
   Other expenditures       3,149    3,392    3,274     7.7     -3.5                                                                
 1/ Income values are derived from "complete income reporters" only.                                                                
                                                                                                                                    
      The strength of the Consumer Expenditure Survey data is in the ability to                                                     
 associate expenditures by consumers with the demographic characteristics of                                                        
 those consumers.  A soon-to-be-published report will include tables showing                                                        
 the data classified by income quintile, income class, size of consumer unit,                                                       
 number of earners, type of consumer unit, age of the reference person, region                                                      
 of residence, housing tenure, race, type of area (urban-rural), and                                                                
 occupation.  These are standard classifications that have been published in                                                        
 prior reports and bulletins.  The report will be sent to all persons on the                                                        
 Consumer Expenditure Survey mailing list.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                    
      There is an ongoing effort by BLS to provide as much reliable data from                                                       
 the Consumer Expenditure Survey as is possible.  An example of this effort can                                                     
 be seen in the expanded income class table in the upcoming annual report.                                                          
 Until now, the highest income class shown in published tables was $50,000 and                                                      
 over.  As consumer unit incomes have increased over time, the number of                                                            
 consumers in the highest income class has reached the point where it is                                                            
 sufficiently large to be divided into two new classes.  Starting with the                                                          
 upcoming report, the income class table will show upper classes of $50,000 to                                                      
 $69,999 and $70,000 and over.  Tables with an upper class of $50,000 and over                                                      
 will be made available to users who wish to make comparisons with earlier                                                          
 years.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                    
      The 1992 Diary and Interview microdata are now available on public use                                                        
 tapes.  These tapes are available for annual data back to 1980.  The 1992 EXPN                                                     
 public use tapes which include non-expenditure information and more detailed                                                       
 expenditure records than are found on the Interview survey tapes will be                                                           
 available in the near future.  Tabulations of integrated data for 1992 with                                                        
 more detail than is shown in this news release or in the annual report are                                                         
 available.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                    
      For further information, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure                                                         
 Surveys, Office of Prices and Living Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2                                                     
 Massachusetts Ave., NE., Washington, DC  20212-0001 or call 202-606-6900.