DOI: 10.3886/icpsr36237.v2
title: Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2013: Interview Survey and Detailed Expenditure Files
title: Version 2

description: The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) program provides a continuous and comprehensive flow of data on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics. These data are used widely in economic research and analysis, and in support of revisions of the Consumer Price Index. The CE program is comprised of two separate components, each with its own questionnaire and independent sample: (1) the quarterly Interview Survey, and (2) the Diary Survey. This data collection contains the quarterly Interview Survey data, which was designed to collect data on major items of expense which respondents could be expected to recall for 3 months or longer. Items include relatively large expenditures, such as those for property, automobiles, and major durable goods, and those that occurred on a regular basis, such as rent or utilities. The Interview Survey does not collect data on expenses for housekeeping supplies, personal care products, and nonprescription drugs, which contribute about 5 to 15 percent of total expenditures. The 2013 Interview Survey contains eight groups of Interview data files (FMLI, MEMI, MTBI, ITBI, ITII, NTAXI, FPAR, and MCHI), forty-three Detailed Expenditure (EXPN) files, and processing files. The FMLI, MEMI, MTBI, ITBI, ITII, and NTAXI files are organized by the calendar quarter of the year in which the data were collected. There are five quarterly datasets for each of these files, running from the first quarter of 2013 through the first quarter of 2014 (with NTAXI files starting the second quarter of 2013). The FMLI file contains consumer unit (CU) characteristics, income, and summary level expenditures; the MEMI file contains member characteristics and income data; the MTBI file contains expenditures organized on a monthly basis at the Universal Classification Code (UCC) level; the ITBI file contains income data converted to a monthly time frame and assigned to UCCs; and the ITII file contains the five imputation variants of the income data converted to a monthly time frame and assigned to UCCs. The NTAXI file contains federal and state tax information for each tax unit within the CU. The FPAR and MCHI datasets are grouped as 2-year datasets (2012 and 2013), plus the first quarter of 2014, and contain paradata about the Interview survey. The FPAR file contains CU level data about the Interview survey, including timing and record use. The MCHI file contains data about each interview contact attempt, including reasons for refusal and times of contact. Both FPAR and MCHI files contain five quarters of data. The EXPN files contain expenditure data and ancillary descriptive information, often not available on the FMLI or MTBI files, in a format similar to the Interview questionnaire. In addition to the extra information available on the EXPN files, users can identify distinct spending categories easily and reduce processing time due to the organization of the files by type of expenditure. Each of the 43 EXPN files contains five quarters of data, directly derived from their respective questionnaire sections. The processing files enhance computer processing and tabulation of data, and provide descriptive information on item codes. There are two types of processing files: (1) aggregation scheme files used in the published consumer expenditure survey interview tables and integrated tables (ISTUB and INTSTUB), and (2) a vehicle make file (CAPIVEHI). The processing files are further explained in the Interview Survey Users' Guide, Section III.H.9. "Processing Files." In addition to the primary users' guide, the Users' Guide to Income Imputation provides information on how to appropriately use the imputed income data. Demographic and family characteristics data include age, sex, race, marital status, and CU relationships for each CU member. Income information was also collected, such as wage, salary, unemployment compensation, child support, and alimony, as well as information on the employment of each CU member age 14 and over. The unpublished integrated CE data tables produced by the BLS are available to download through NADAC (click on "Other" in the Dataset(s) section). The tables show average and percentile expenditures for detailed items, as well as the standard error and coefficient of variation (CV) for each spending estimate. The BLS unpublished integrated CE data tables are provided as an easy-to-use tool for obtaining spending estimates. However, users are cautioned to read the BLS explanatory letter accompanying the tables. The letter explains that estimates of average expenditures on detailed spending items (such as leisure and art-related categories) may be unreliable due to so few reports of expenditures for those items.
description: The data are not weighted. However, the data files feature various weights variables that users may wish to apply during analyses. Please refer to the Interview Survey User Guide for a detailed explanation of the weighting procedures.
description: National probability sample of households designed to represent the total United States non-institutionalized civilian population.
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: First Quarter, 2013: Consumer Unit (CU) Characteristics and Income File (FMLI) DS2: First Quarter, 2013: Member Characteristics and Income File (MEMI) DS3: First Quarter, 2013: Monthly Expenditure File (MTBI) DS4: First Quarter, 2013: Income File (ITBI) DS5: First Quarter, 2013: Imputed Income File (ITII) DS6: Second Quarter, 2013: Consumer Unit (CU) Characteristics and Income File (FMLI) DS7: Second Quarter, 2013: Member Characteristics and Income File (MEMI) DS8: Second Quarter, 2013: Monthly Expenditure File (MTBI) DS9: Second Quarter, 2013: Income File (ITBI) DS10: Second Quarter, 2013: Imputed Income File (ITII) DS11: Second Quarter, 2013: Tax File (NTAXI) DS12: Third Quarter, 2013: Consumer Unit (CU) Characteristics and Income File (FMLI) DS13: Third Quarter, 2013: Member Characteristics and Income File (MEMI) DS14: Third Quarter, 2013: Monthly Expenditure File (MTBI) DS15: Third Quarter, 2013: Income File (ITBI) DS16: Third Quarter, 2013: Imputed Income File (ITII) DS17: Third Quarter, 2013: Tax File (NTAXI) DS18: Fourth Quarter, 2013: Consumer Unit (CU) Characteristics and Income File (FMLI) DS19: Fourth Quarter, 2013: Member Characteristics and Income File (MEMI) DS20: Fourth Quarter, 2013: Monthly Expenditure File (MTBI) DS21: Fourth Quarter, 2013: Income File (ITBI) DS22: Fourth Quarter, 2013: Imputed Income File (ITII) DS23: Fourth Quarter, 2013: Tax File (NTAXI) DS24: First Quarter, 2014: Consumer Unit (CU) Characteristics and Income File (FMLI) DS25: First Quarter, 2014: Member Characteristics and Income File (MEMI) DS26: First Quarter, 2014: Monthly Expenditure File (MTBI) DS27: First Quarter, 2014: Income File (ITBI) DS28: First Quarter, 2014: Imputed Income File (ITII) DS29: First Quarter, 2014: Tax File (NTAXI) DS30: CU Level Paradata Information (FPAR) DS31: Record Level Paradata Information (MCHI) DS32: EXPN: Rented Living Quarters (all) - Rental Payments, Facilities, and Services (RNT) DS33: EXPN: Owned Living Quarters and Other Owned Real Estate - Detailed Property Description (OPB) DS34: EXPN: Owned Living Quarters and Other Owned Real Estate - Disposed of Property (OPD) DS35: EXPN: Owned Living Quarters and Other Owned Real Estate - Mortgage/Lump Sum Home Equity Loan (MOR) DS36: EXPN: Owned Living Quarters and Other Owned Real Estate - Lump Sum Home Equity Loans (HEL) DS37: EXPN: Owned Living Quarters and Other Owned Real Estate - Line of Credit Home Equity Loans (OPH) DS38: EXPN: Owned Living Quarters and Other Owned Real Estate - Ownership Costs (OPI) DS39: EXPN: Utilities And Fuels for Owned and Rented Properties - Telephone Expenses (UTA) DS40: EXPN: Utilities And Fuels for Owned and Rented Properties - Other Telephone Expenses (UTP) DS41: EXPN: Utilities And Fuels for Owned and Rented Properties - Internet Services Expenses (UTI) DS42: EXPN: Utilities And Fuels for Owned and Rented Properties - Utilities and Fuels for Owned and Rented Properties (UTC) DS43: EXPN: Construction, Repairs, Alterations and Maintenance of Owned and Rented Property - Construction, Repairs, Alterations and Maintenance of Property (CRA) DS44: EXPN: Construction, Repairs, Alterations and Maintenance of Owned and Rented Property - Alterations and Maintenance of Property - Jobs Not Yet Started (CRB) DS45: EXPN: Appliances, Household Equipment, and Other Selected Items - Purchase of Household Appliances (APA) DS46: EXPN: Appliances, Household Equipment, and Other Selected Items - Purchase of Household Appliances and Other Selected Items (APB) DS47: EXPN: Household Item Repairs and Service Contracts - Household Item Repairs and Service Contracts (EQB) DS48: EXPN: Home Furnishings and Related Household Items - Purchases of Home Furnishings and Related Household Items (FRA) DS49: EXPN: Home Furnishings and Related Household Items - Rental, Leasing, or Repair of Furniture (FRB) DS50: EXPN: Clothing and Jewelry - Clothing, Watches, and Jewelry (CLA) DS51: EXPN: Clothing and Sewing Materials - Clothing Services (CLD) DS52: EXPN: Rented and Leased Vehicles - Screening Questions (RTV) DS53: EXPN: Rented and Leased Vehicles - Detailed Questions (LSD) DS54: EXPN: Owned Vehicles - Detailed Questions (OVB) DS55: EXPN: Owned Vehicles - Disposal of Vehicles (OVC) DS56: EXPN: Vehicle Operating Expenses - Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (VEQ) DS57: EXPN: Vehicle Operating Expenses - Licensing, Registration, and Inspection of Vehicles (VLR) DS58: EXPN: Vehicle Operating Expenses - Other Vehicle Operating Expenses (VOT) DS59: EXPN: Insurance other than Health - Detailed Questions (INB) DS60: EXPN: Hospitalization and Health Insurance - Detailed Questions (IHB) DS61: EXPN: Hospitalization and Health Insurance - Medicare and Medicaid (IHC) DS62: EXPN: Hospitalization and Heath Insurance - Medicare Prescription Drug Program (IHD) DS63: EXPN: Medical and Health Expenditures - Payments for Medical Expenses (MDB) DS64: EXPN: Medical and Health Expenditures - Reimbursements for Medical Expenses (MDC) DS65: EXPN: Educational Expenses - Expenses paid by the CU (EDA) DS66: EXPN: Subscriptions, Memberships, Books, and Entertainment Expenses - Subscriptions and Memberships (SUB) DS67: EXPN: Trips and Vacations - 100% Reimbursed Trips (TRD) DS68: EXPN: Trips and Vacations - Trips Paid Entirely by CU and Partially Reimbursed Trips (TRB) DS69: EXPN: Trips and Vacations - Trip Expenses for Non CU Members (TRE) DS70: EXPN: Trips and Vacations - Local Overnight Stays (TRF) DS71: EXPN: Miscellaneous Expenses - Miscellaneous Expenses (MIS) DS72: EXPN: Miscellaneous Expenses - Contributions (CNT) DS73: EXPN: Expense Patterns for Food, Beverages, and Other Selected Items - Expense Patterns for Food and Beverages (XPA) DS74: EXPN: Expense Patterns for Food, Beverages, and Other Selected Items - Expense Patterns for Selected Services and Goods (XPB)
description: Eligible population includes all civilian non-institutional persons. Smallest Geographic Unit: Primary Sampling Unit
description: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI); face-to-face interview; telephone interviewThis collection has been minimally processed. ICPSR has extracted variable label and value label information from the Interview Data Dictionary (contained within the ICPSR Codebook) and applied these labels to the corresponding data files. Additionally, UCC item codes have been applied for each UCC variable.The Interview Survey User Guide does not include an explanation of all information in the EXPN files. Users are strongly encouraged to refer to the questionnaire. Survey forms, as well as the CAPI questionnaire, are available on the Consumer Expenditure Survey Web page.Variable NEWID (CU's unique identification number) can be used to link records across the data files.A related data collection, the <em>Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2013: Diary Survey Files</em>, is available as ICPSR 36275.Please refer to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey Web page for additional information about this data series.