DOI: 10.3886/icpsr09842.v1
title: Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1988: Interview Survey, Detailed Expenditure Files
title: Version 1

description: The ongoing Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) provides a 
 continuous flow of information on the buying habits of American 
 consumers and also furnishes data to support periodic revisions of the 
 Consumer Price Index. The survey consists of two separate components: 
 (1) a quarterly Interview Survey in which each consumer unit (CU) in 
 the sample is interviewed every three months over a 15-month period, 
 and (2) a Diary Survey completed by the sample CUs for two consecutive 
 one-week periods. The Interview Survey was designed to collect data on 
 major items of expense, household characteristics, and income. The 
 expenditures covered by the survey are those that respondents can 
 recall fairly accurately for three months or longer. In general, these 
 expenditures include relatively large purchases, such as those for 
 property, automobiles, and major appliances, or expenditures that occur 
 on a fairly regular basis, such as rent, utilities, or insurance 
 premiums. Expenditures incurred while on trips are also covered by the 
 survey. Excluded are nonprescription drugs, household supplies, and 
 personal care items. Including global estimates on spending for food, 
 it is estimated that about 90 to 95 percent of expenditures are covered 
 in the Interview Survey. The Detailed Expenditure (MTAB) files that 
 comprise this data collection were created from all the major 
 expenditure sections of the Interview Survey questionnaires. These 
 files contain more detailed expenditure records than those found in the 
 Interview Survey data. In addition, the Detailed Expenditure files 
 include Family Characteristics and Income (FMLY) files and Member 
 Characteristics and Income (MEMB) files identical to those found in the 
Interview Survey.
description: The Consumer Expenditure Survey is based on a national 
 probability sample of households. Households are selected from primary 
 sampling units (PSUs), which consist of counties (or parts thereof), 
 groups of counties, or independent cities. The set of sample PSUs used 
 for the survey is composed of 101 areas, of which 85 urban areas have 
 also been selected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Consumer 
 Price Index program. The sampling frame from which housing units were 
 selected was generated from the 1980 Census 100-percent detail file, 
 augmented by new construction permits and coverage improvement 
 techniques used to eliminate recognized deficiencies in that census. 
 The sample design is a rotating panel survey in which one-fifth of the 
 sample is dropped and a new group added each quarter. Each panel is 
 interviewed for five consecutive quarters and then dropped from the 
survey.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: 1988 First Quarter: Family Characteristics and Income
DS2: 1988 First Quarter: Member Characteristics and Income
DS3: 1988 Second Quarter: Family Characteristics and Income
DS4: 1988 Second Quarter: Member Characteristics and Income
DS5: 1988 Third Quarter: Family Characteristics and Income
DS6: 1988 Third Quarter: Member Characteristics and Income
DS7: 1988 Fourth Quarter: Family Characteristics and Income
DS8: 1988 Fourth Quarter: Member Characteristics and Income
DS9: 1989 First Quarter: Family Characteristics and Income
DS10: 1989 First Quarter: Member Characteristics and Income
DS11: 1988-1989: Major Household Appliances
DS12: 1988-1989: Rental Living Quarters
DS13: 1988-1989: Owned Living Quarters (Detailed Property Description)
DS14: 1988-1989: Owned Living Quarters (Disposed-of Property)
DS15: 1988-1989: Owned Living Quarters (Mortgage Payments)
DS16: 1988-1989: Owned Living Quarters (Ownership Costs)
DS17: 1988-1989: Utilities and Fuels (Telephone Expenses)
DS18: 1988-1989: Utilities and Fuels (Screening Questions)
DS19: 1988-1989: Utilities and Fuels (Detailed Questions)
DS20: 1988-1989: Construction, Repairs, Alterations, and Maintenance of Property (Screening Questions)
DS21: 1988-1989: Construction, Repairs, Alterations, and Maintenance of Property (Job Description)
DS22: 1990-1991: Appliances, Household Equipment, and Other Selected Items (Purchase of Appliances)
DS23: 1988-1989: Appliances, Household Equipment, and Other Selected Items (Other Household Equipment)
DS24: 1988-1989: Household Equipment Repairs and Service Contracts
DS25: 1988-1989: Furniture Repair and Reupholstering
DS26: 1988-1989: Home Furnishings and Related Household Items (Purchases)
DS27: 1988-1989: Home Furnishings and Related Household Items (Rental or Leasing of Furniture)
DS28: 1988-1989: Clothing and Sewing Materials (Clothing)
DS29: 1988-1989: Clothing and Sewing Materials (Infants' Clothing, Watches, Jewelry, and Hairpieces)
DS30: 1988-1989: Clothing and Sewing Materials (Sewing Materials)
DS31: 1988-1989: Clothing and Sewing Materials (Clothing Services)
DS32: 1988-1989: Rented and Leased Vehicles (Detailed Questions)
DS33: 1988-1989: Owned Vehicles (Detailed Questions)
DS34: 1988-1989: Owned Vehicles (Disposed-of Vehicles)
DS35: 1988-1989: Vehicle Operating Expenses (Vehicle Maintenance and Repair)
DS36: 1988-1989: Vehicle Operating Expenses (Licensing, Registration, and Inspection of Vehicles)
DS37: 1988-1989: Vehicle Operating Expenses (Other Vehicle Operating Expenses)
DS38: 1988-1989: Insurance Other Than Health
DS39: 1988-1989: Hospitalization and Health Insurance (Detailed Questionnaire)
DS40: 1988-1989: Hospitalization and Health Insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, and Other Plans Not Paid by the CU)
DS41: 1988-1989: Medical and Health Expenditures (Expenses)
DS42: 1988-1989: Medical and Health Expenditures (Reimbursements)
DS43: 1988-1989: Educational Expenses (Expenses Paid by the CU)
DS44: 1988-1989: Educational Expenses (Expenses Paid Directly by Others Outside the CU)
DS45: 1988-1989: Subscriptions and Memberships
DS46: 1988-1989: Books and Entertainment
DS47: 1988-1989: Trips and Vacations (Screening Questions)
DS48: 1988-1989: Trips and Vacations (Detailed Questions)
DS49: 1988-1989: Miscellaneous Expenses
DS50: 1988-1989: Food, Beverages, and Other Selected Items (Food and Beverages)
DS51: 1988-1989: Food, Beverages, and Other Selected Items (Selected Services and Goods)
DS52: Credit Liability (Second Quarter Only)
DS53: Credit Liability (Credit Balances)
DS54: Credit Liability (Finance Charges)
DS55: Vehicle Make/Model Codes and Titles
DS56: Codebook Text for All Parts
description: Total civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the 
United States.