Spending by Consumers on Health Care and Health Insurance: A Data Brief

Spending by Consumers on Health Care and Health Insurance: A Data Brief

Order Code RL34295
Spending by Consumers on Health Care and
Health Insurance: A Data Brief
December 21, 2007
Jennifer Jenson
Specialist in Health Economics
Domestic Social Policy

Spending by Consumers on Health Care and Health
Insurance: A Data Brief
Summary
Over the 20-year period from 1986 to 2005, health care accounted for 5.4% of
consumer spending, on average. According to data from the Consumer Expenditure
Survey (CES), health care accounted for 5.7% of consumer spending in 2005, slightly
higher than the 20-year average but lower than the 2004 share of 5.9%.
In the CES, consumer spending for health care includes spending for health
insurance and spending for other health care (medical services, medical supplies, and
drugs). In 2005, health insurance accounted for 2.9% of consumer spending. Other
health care accounted for 2.8% of spending.
Consumers spent less on health care than on housing or transportation or food,
both in 2005 and in every year since 1986. In 2005, housing accounted for 32.7% of
consumer spending; transportation, 18.0%; and food, 12.0%. Average spending in
these categories exceeded spending on health care in part because some consumers
spend little or nothing on health care and health insurance. Those who spend
relatively little on health may do so because they are healthy, because they have
generous employer-sponsored or government health benefits, or because they are
uninsured and lack access to care.
Health care accounts for a higher share of spending, on average, for lower-
income people. In 2005, health care accounted for 7.6% of spending by consumers
in the lowest income quintile, compared with 4.4% of spending by those in the
highest income quintile. Housing and food also account for a higher share of
spending for lower-income people. In 2005, housing accounted for 39.4% of
spending by those in the lowest income quintile, compared with 31.0% for those in
the highest quintile. The spending shares for food were 15.9% and 11.1% for the
lowest and highest income quintiles, respectively.
As people age, they spend more on health care. In 2005, health care accounted
for 2.5% of spending by consumers younger than 25, compared with 15.6% of
spending by those 75 or older. Health care is different from other spending
categories in its consistent pattern of increasing spending with increasing age. It
accounted for 3.4% of consumer spending for those in the 25-to-34 age group, 4.1%
of spending for those 35 to 44, 4.8% of spending for those 45 to 54, 6.9% of
spending for those 55 to 64, and 10.8% of spending for those 65 to 74. Within the
health care category, as people age, they spend more, on average, on both health
insurance and other health care.
The data in this report reflect direct spending by consumers on health care.
They do not include spending by employers for employee health benefits, even
though consumers may pay indirectly for such benefits through lower wages.
Similarly, the data presented here do not include government spending for health care
programs, even though consumers help pay for government benefits through income
and employment taxes. This report will be updated.

Contents
About the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Consumer Spending on Health Care and Other Goods and Services . . . . . . . . . . 3
But I Thought People Spent a Lot More on Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Consumer Spending, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Consumer Spending, by Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Interpreting Data on Consumer Spending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Appendix. Items Included in Spending Categories in This Report . . . . . . . . . . . 11
List of Figures
Figure 1. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Selected Goods and
Services, 1986-2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Figure 2. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Other Goods and Services,
by Income Quintile, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 3. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Other Goods and Services,
by Age of Reference Person, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
List of Tables
Table 1. Consumer Spending on Health Care, Health Insurance, and Other
Goods and Services, 2001-2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 2. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Health Insurance,
by Income Quintile, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 3. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Health Insurance,
by Age of Reference Person, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Spending by Consumers on Health Care
and Health Insurance: A Data Brief
Americans report being worried about health care costs. Based on a survey in
June 2007, 75% described themselves as very or somewhat worried about having to
pay more for their health care or health insurance, and 63% said they were worried
about being able to afford needed health care services. The level of worry about
health care costs mirrored concern about rising prices generally, and it surpassed
concern about the cost of housing (44% reported worry about being able to pay their
rent or mortgage). Only 11% of respondents reported that they were not at all
worried about the cost of health insurance or care, compared with 34% who were not
worried about paying for housing.1
How much do Americans spend on health care? As shown below, consumers
spend less on health care, on average, than they do on housing, transportation, or
food. Lower spending is partly a function of averages — some consumers may pay
many thousands of dollars for health care and health insurance, while others pay little
or nothing at all — and partly because employers and government spend a lot on
health care on behalf of consumers.2
Health care accounts for a greater share of spending for low-income and older
consumers, on average, but spending also varies within income and age groups. For
some consumers, health care and health insurance may be unaffordable. For others,
worry about health care may reflect concern about two things: rising costs generally,
and the risk of personally facing very high costs.
About the Data
Information in this report is based on data from the Consumer Expenditure
Survey (CES). This Department of Labor survey consists of two components — a
quarterly interview survey and a weekly diary survey — that together provide
information on the spending habits, income, and other characteristics of American
consumers.3
1 The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, “Health Security Watch,” Kaiser Health Poll
Report, June 2007, at [http://www.kff/org/currentedition/security/index.cfm].
2 For more information on employer spending, see CRS Report RS22735, Spending by
Employers on Health Insurance: A Data Brief, by Jennifer Jenson.
3 Descriptive information on the Consumer Expenditure Survey is from Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) report 998, Consumer Expenditures in 2005, February 2007, at
(continued...)

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! The quarterly interview survey collects information on spending that
respondents can reasonably recall for a period of three months or
longer, including relatively large expenses and regular purchases.
Property and automobile purchases are examples of relatively large
expenses; rent and utility payments are examples of regular
purchases.
! The diary survey collects information on frequently purchased items
that respondents may not recall over time; food and housekeeping
supplies are examples. For this component, respondents keep a
diary of expenses for two consecutive one-week periods.
The survey is designed to provide representative information for the U.S.
population. Data are collected and reported for consumer units,4 which may consist
of (1) members of a household, (2) a financially independent single person (living
alone or with others), or (3) two or more people who live together and share
responsibility for at least two out of three major types of expenses, including food,
housing, and other expenses. In this report, spending shares and amounts are for
consumer units, unless otherwise indicated.
Like any survey, the Consumer Expenditure Survey has strengths and
weaknesses. An important strength is its use of personal interviews and written
diaries to collect extensive information on consumer spending. Potential weaknesses
include sampling bias (does the sample provide representative information for the
U.S. population and population subgroups?), response bias (do respondents report
spending accurately?), and classification bias (are data properly classified in spending
categories and subcategories?).
For this report, data from various consumer spending categories and
subcategories were combined in the broad categories described in the Appendix. In
the CES, the health care category includes four subcategories: health insurance,
medical services, medical supplies, and drugs. In this report, data are presented for
the inclusive health care category and for two subcategories: health insurance and
other health care. Other health care includes spending for medical services, medical
supplies, and drugs.
3 (...continued)
[http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann05.pdf].
4 In this report, the term “consumers” is usually shorthand for “consumer units.”

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Consumer Spending on Health Care and Other
Goods and Services
In 2005, consumers spent $2,664 on health care on average, compared with
$15,167 on housing, $8,344 on transportation, and $5,931 on food.5 Health care
accounted for 5.7% of consumer spending, down slightly from 5.9% in 2004.
Health care usually has accounted for between 5% and 6% of consumer
spending (see Table 1 and Figure 1). Between 1986 and 2005, the average share of
spending was 5.4%; the high was 5.9% (in 2003 and 2004), and the low was 4.6%
(in 1987). Relative spending for housing, transportation, and food also has been
fairly consistent. Over the 1986-2005 period, housing accounted for 31.9% of
consumer spending, on average. The 20-year average shares for transportation and
food were 18.7% and 14.0%, respectively.
Table 1. Consumer Spending on Health Care, Health Insurance,
and Other Goods and Services, 2001-2005
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Average annual spending by
$39,518
$40,677
$40,817
$43,395
$46,409
consumers on all goods and services
Share of average annual spending
Health care
5.5%
5.8%
5.9%
5.9%
5.7%
Health insurance
2.7%
2.9%
3.1%
3.1%
2.9%
Other health care
2.8%
2.9%
2.9%
2.9%
2.8%
Other goods and services
Housing
32.9%
32.7%
32.9%
32.1%
32.7%
Transportation
19.3%
19.1%
19.1%
18.0%
18.0%
Food
13.5%
13.2%
13.1%
13.3%
12.8%
Personal insurance and pensions
9.5%
9.6%
9.9%
11.1%
11.2%
Entertainment
4.9%
5.1%
5.0%
5.1%
5.1%
Apparel and services
4.4%
4.3%
4.0%
4.2%
4.1%
Alcohol and tobacco products
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
1.6%
All other
8.3%
8.6%
8.4%
8.6%
8.8%
Source: CRS analysis based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Average annual
expenditures and characteristics of all consumer units, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2000-2005,”
at [http://www.bls.gov/cex/home.htm].
Notes: Health care components may not sum to totals because of rounding. See the Appendix for
more information on spending categories. Spending amounts and shares are for “consumer units.”
In 2005, the average number of persons in a consumer unit was 2.5.
5 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Consumer Expenditures in
2005, BLS report 998, February 2007, p. 3, at [http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann05.pdf].

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Figure 1. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Selected
Goods and Services, 1986-2005
35%
30%
ng
Housing
25%
ndi
Transportation
e 20%
p
s
Food
15%
of
Insurance & pensions
re
a 10%
HEALTH CARE
h
S
5%
0%
6
8
0
2
4
6
8
0
2
4
198
198
199
199
199
199
199
200
200
200
Source: CRS analysis based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure
Surveys, 1986-2005.
Note: Categories not shown (entertainment, apparel and services, alcohol and tobacco products, and
all other goods and services) accounted for 20.6% of consumer spending, on average, over the 1986-
2005 period.
But I Thought People Spent a Lot More on Health Care
If health care is a basic need, like housing or food, why is average spending for
health care less than spending for other necessities? One reason is that data on
average spending include information for a variety of people. Some people spend
thousands of dollars on health care each year, while others spend little or nothing.
Another reason is that employers and government spend a lot on health care on behalf
of consumers.
Data on average spending mask differences between people with varied health
care needs and preferences. One person may be healthy and use care rarely, while
another has multiple chronic conditions that require costly, ongoing treatment. Even
people with similar health status may have different preferences for health care. One
person may seek treatment for every minor ailment, while another avoids using
services except in extreme circumstances. Access to care also may differ because of
individual characteristics, such as income, or community characteristics, such as the
supply of health care providers.
Health care accounts for a relatively small share of consumer spending in part
because many people get health benefits from their employer, the government, or
both. In 2006, 59.7% of the population had employer-sponsored insurance and
27.0% received government health benefits under Medicare, Medicaid, and military
health programs.6 Although not all employers provide work-based coverage, those
6 In addition to employer-sponsored insurance and government health benefits, 9.1% of the
(continued...)

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that do pay most of the premium. In 2007, employers paid 84.5% of the cost for
single coverage and 72.9% for family coverage.7 Public spending on health is also
substantial: in 2007, it is expected to total more than $1 trillion, including federal,
state, and local payments for Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs.8
Consumer Spending, by Income
Health care accounted for 5.7% of consumer spending in 2005, but the average
share of spending was higher for people with lower income. As shown in Table 2,
for people in the lowest income quintile, health care accounted for 7.6% of spending
in 2005. For those in the second-lowest quintile, the share was 8.1%. The pattern
was similar for spending on health insurance. The average share of spending by all
consumers for insurance was 2.9%, compared with 4.1% for people in the bottom
two income quintiles. The 4.1% share for those in the two lowest quintiles was
almost double the share of spending for insurance by those in the highest income
group (2.1%).
Although the share of spending on health care is generally higher for lower-
income people, it is not highest for those in the lowest-income quintile. Instead, it
is highest for those in the second-lowest quintile. This result can be explained in part
by Medicaid coverage and other public benefits for people with very low income. As
in Table 1, the shares of spending in Table 2 are averages. Within income groups,
health care and health insurance may account for a lower or higher share of spending
for individuals and their families.
Higher-income consumers spend more money on health care than lower-income
consumers, even though health care accounts for a smaller share of their spending.
In 2005, consumers in the highest income quintile spent $3,962 on health care, 2.7
times as much as consumers in the lowest quintile, who spent $1,448 (see Table 2).
Because the average number of people per consumer unit is higher for consumers
with higher income, the 2.7 ratio overstates the real difference in spending.
Adjusting for the number of people per consumer unit, in 2005, consumers in the
highest income quintile spent $1,238 per person on health care, 1.5 times as much as
consumers in the lowest quintile, who spent $852. Spending amounts were similar
in the middle income quintiles.
6 (...continued)
population purchased private health insurance directly and 15.8% of the population was
uninsured. U.S. Census Bureau, Income Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the
United States: 2006, Current Population Report no. P60-233, August 2007, p. 58, at
[http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/cps.html]. Types of insurance are not mutually
exclusive; for example, a Medicare beneficiary also may have employer-sponsored Medigap
coverage.
7 Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust, Employer Health
Benefits 2007 Annual Survey, p. 70, at [http://www.kff.org/insurance/index.cfm].
8 John Poisal et al, “Health Spending Projections Through 2016: Modest Changes Obscure
Part D’s Impact,” Health Affairs-Web Exclusive, February, 21, 2007, p. w248.

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Looking at subcategories of health care spending, higher-income consumers
spent more than lower-income consumers on both health insurance and other heath
care (medical services, medical supplies, and drugs). In 2005, consumers in the
highest income quintile spent $601 per person on health insurance, 1.3 times as much
as those in the lowest quintile, who spent $459. The ratio was 1.6 for spending in the
other health care subcategory, with consumers in the highest income quintile
spending $637, compared with $393 for those in the lowest quintile. Differences in
average spending per person are difficult to interpret without additional information
on consumers’ access to employer-sponsored insurance, government benefits, and
medical products and services.
Table 2. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Health
Insurance, by Income Quintile, 2005
Income Quintile
Lowest
Second
Third
Fourth
Highest
All
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
Consumers
Average annual spending on all goods and services, including health care
$19,120
$28,921
$39,098
$54,354
$90,469
$46,409
Average share of spending on health care
Health care
7.6%
8.1%
6.6%
5.5%
4.4%
5.7%
Health insurance
4.1%
4.1%
3.5%
2.9%
2.1%
2.9%
Other health care
3.5%
3.9%
3.1%
2.7%
2.3%
2.8%
Average annual spending on health care
Health care
$1,448
$2,329
$2,567
$3,012
$3,962
$2,664
Health insurance
$780
$1,198
$1,349
$1,552
$1,924
$1,361
Other health care
$668
$1,131
$1,218
$1,460
$2,038
$1,303
Average annual spending on health care, per person
Health care
$852
$1,059
$1,027
$1,039
$1,238
$1,066
Health insurance
$459
$545
$540
$535
$601
$544
Other health care
$393
$514
$487
$503
$637
$521
Average number of persons in consumer unit
1.7
2.2
2.5
2.9
3.2
2.5
Source: CRS analysis based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Table 1. Quintiles of
income before taxes: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2005,” at [http://www.bls.gov/cex/home.htm].
Notes: Components may not sum to totals because of rounding. See the Appendix for more
information on spending categories. Unless otherwise indicated, spending amounts and shares are for
“consumer units.”
Figure 2 shows similarities and differences in the composition of average
spending by income. For all income groups, consumers spent less on health care in
2005 than on housing, transportation, or food. Three spending categories — health
care, housing, and food — are similar in that spending on these items accounts for

CRS-7
a smaller share of spending in higher income groups. In contrast, spending on
personal insurance and pensions accounts for a larger share of spending in higher
income groups.
Figure 2. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Other Goods
and Services, by Income Quintile, 2005
40%
Low est 20%
35%
g
in 30%
Second 20%
d
en 25%
Third 20%
20%
f sp
15%
Fourth 20%
are o 10%
h
Highest income
S
5%
quintile
0%
Health care
Housing Transportation
Food
Insurance &
pensions
Spending by category & income quintile
Source: CRS analysis based on data from the 2005 Consumer Expenditure Survey (See Table 2).
Consumer Spending, by Age
Spending on health care increases with age. As shown in Table 3, in 2005,
health care accounted for 15.6% of spending for people aged 75 years and older, on
average, compared with 2.5% of spending for those under age 25.9 Part of the
difference can be explained by changes in health status and the increase in chronic
illness that comes with advancing age,10 and part is a function of higher spending on
health insurance by older people. In 2005, health insurance accounted for 8.4% of
consumer spending in the 75-and-older age group, compared with 1.4% of spending
in the under-25 population. Although the 65-and-older population has near-universal
coverage under Medicare, this group nonetheless spends more on health insurance
than younger people. Spending on Medicare supplemental (Medigap) coverage is
itself a major expense for many seniors, and because such coverage eliminates most
or all Medicare cost sharing, it also encourages policyholders to use more health care.
9 For more information on spending by older Americans, see CRS Report RL34185,
Consumer Spending by Older Americans, 1985-2005, by Patrick Purcell.
10 Although health care spending increases with age, aging is not the most important factor
in the growth of national health spending over time. More important is the rising cost of
health care for all age groups. For more information, see CRS Report RS22619, Health
Care Spending and the Aging of the Population, by Jennifer Jenson.

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Table 3. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Health
Insurance, by Age of Reference Person, 2005
Age Group
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75 Years
Under 25
Years
Years
Years
Years
Years
and Older
Average annual spending on all goods and services, including health care
$27,776
$45,068
$55,190
$55,854
$49,592
$38,573
$27,018
Average share of spending on health care
Health care
2.5%
3.4%
4.1%
4.8%
6.9%
10.8%
15.6%
Health
1.4%
1.8%
2.1%
2.3%
3.2%
6.1%
8.4%
insurance
Other health
1.2%
1.6%
2.0%
2.5%
3.7%
4.7%
7.2%
care
Average annual spending on health care
Health care
$704
$1,522
$2,272
$2,672
$3,410
$4,176
$4,210
Health
$377
$822
$1,160
$1,283
$1,585
$2,352
$2,260
insurance
Other health
$327
$700
$1,112
$1,389
$1,825
$1,824
$1,950
care
Average annual spending on health care, per person
Health care
$335
$544
$710
$990
$1,624
$2,198
$2,807
Health
$180
$294
$363
$475
$755
$1,238
$1,507
insurance
Other health
$156
$250
$348
$514
$869
$960
$1,300
care
Average number of persons in consumer unit
2.1
2.8
3.2
2.7
2.1
1.9
1.5
Source: CRS analysis based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Table 3. Age of
reference person: Average annual expenditures and characteristics, Consumer Expenditure Survey,
2005,” at [http://www.bls.gov/ces/home.htm].
Notes: The “reference person” is the first person named by the respondent when asked to “start with
the name of the person or one of the persons who owns or rents the home.” Components may not sum
to totals because of rounding. See the Appendix for more information on spending categories. Unless
otherwise indicated, spending amounts and shares are for “consumer units.” In 2005, the average
number of persons in a consumer unit was 2.5.
Looking at spending amounts instead of shares does not change the central
finding that health care spending increases with age. In 2005, consumer units with
a reference person in the 75-and-older age group spent an average of $4,210 on health
care, six times as much as the $704 in spending by those with a reference person in
the under-25 age group. Adjusting for the number of people per consumer unit
reveals an even larger age effect. In 2005, health care spending averaged $2,807 per
person for consumers in the 75-and-older age group, compared with $335 for those
under 25, amounts that differ by a factor of 8.4.

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The pattern is the same for subcategories of health spending: average spending
for both health insurance and other healthcare increases with age. Data for spending
by consumer units and data adjusted for the number of people per consumer unit both
show ever-increasing spending with age, with two exceptions.
First, looking at 2005 data, average spending for health insurance was $2,352
for consumer units with a reference person in the 65-74 age group, compared with
a slightly lower $2,260 for those with a reference person who was 75 or older.
However, after adjusting for the number of people per consumer unit, average
spending on health insurance increases with every successive age group, from $180
per person in the under-25 age group to $1,238 per person in the 65-74 age group and
$1,507 per person for those aged 75 and older.
Second, when looking at data for consumer units, it appears that spending on
medical services, medical supplies, and drugs (items in the “other health care”
subcategory) was the same in 2005 for consumers in the 55-64 (pre-Medicare) and
65-74 (Medicare-eligible) age groups. Before adjusting for the number of people per
consumer unit, spending on items in the other health care subcategory was $1,825
and $1,824 for the two age groups. After adjusting for the number of people,
consumer spending on other health care was $869 per person in the pre-Medicare
group and almost $100 more ($964 per person) in the Medicare-eligible group — an
interesting difference given the latter group’s eligibility for Medicare benefits.
Differences by age in spending for health care and other goods and services are
not themselves surprising, as consumer needs and preferences vary with age. As
shown in Figure 3, spending on health care is unique in that it accounts for a larger
share of spending for each successive age group. On average, older consumers
devote a larger share of spending to health care than do middle-age consumers, who
in turn spend more than younger consumers. The pattern is different for other
spending categories.
Figure 3. Consumer Spending on Health Care and Other Goods
and Services, by Age of Reference Person, 2005
40%
g 35%
in
d 30%
en 25%
20%
f sp 15%
10%
are o
h
5%
S
0%
Health care
Housing
Transportation
Food
Insurance &
pensions
Spending by category & age group of reference person
Under 25
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75+
Source: CRS analysis based on data from the 2005 Consumer Expenditure Survey (See Table 3).

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Interpreting Data on Consumer Spending
Consumers spend less on health care, on average, than on housing,
transportation, or food. They also spend less on health insurance than on
entertainment or apparel and services (see Table 1). Does relatively lower spending
imply that consumers value health care less than housing, or health insurance less
than entertainment? It’s not clear from the data presented here.
The Consumer Expenditure Survey provides information on what people spend
their money on, but it does not explain why people make the spending choices they
do. The data also do not tell the whole story about the cost of health care for
consumers.
Like spending for other goods and services, spending for health care and health
insurance reflects consumer preferences and decisions, but it also reflects a variety
of factors that may be partly or fully beyond a consumer’s control, including whether
a person is healthy or sick, and whether he or she has access to employment-based
or government health benefits. Low spending for health care could be desirable if it
reflects a consumers’ good health, or undesirable if it reflects a lack of access to care.
High spending also may be desirable or undesirable, depending on whether the
spending reflects an affordable choice or an unaffordable burden.
Spending on health insurance may be particularly difficult to interpret. Low
spending could indicate a consumer’s inability to afford coverage, or access to
generous employment-based or public benefits. In addition, direct spending on
health insurance does not capture the total cost of coverage for consumers. Because
employers provide health benefits for nearly 60% of the population, and government
provides benefits for 27% of the population, consumers also pay for health coverage
indirectly through foregone wages and taxes.

CRS-11
Appendix. Items Included in Spending Categories in
This Report
Includes These Consumer Expenditure
Spending Category
Survey Categories and Subcategories
Health care
Health insurance
Medical services
Medical supplies
Drugs
Housing
Shelter
Utilities, fuels, and public services
Household operations
Housekeeping supplies
Household furnishings and equipment
Transportation
Vehicle purchases
Gasoline and motor oil
Other vehicle expenses
Public transportation
Food
Food at home
Food away from home
Personal insurance and
Life and other personal insurance
pensions
Pensions and Social Security
Entertainment
Fees and admissions
Audio and visual equipment and services
Pets, toys, hobbies, and playground equipment
Other entertainment supplies, equipment, and services
Apparel and services
Apparel for men and boys, women and girls, and children
under two
Footwear
Other apparel products and services
Alcohol and tobacco
Alcoholic beverages
products
Tobacco products and smoking supplies
All other
Personal care products and services
Reading
Education
Miscellaneous
Cash contributions
Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey categories and subcategories are detailed in various reports
from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. See, for example, “Consumer Expenditures in 2005,” BLS
Report 998, February 2007, at [http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann05.pdf]