Expenditures of the Aged Chartbook, 2015

CUs = Consumer units

About This Chartbook

Source of the Data

The Expenditures of the Aged Chartbook is based on data from the 2015 Consumer Expenditure Survey Public-Use File. The survey provides continuous comprehensive data on the buying habits of US consumers. The survey is representative of the total civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States, as well as that portion of the institutionalized population living in group quarters (excluding military personnel living on military bases and residents of nursing homes).

The Consumer Expenditure Survey program consists of two separate components, each with its own questionnaire and independent sample:

  • An interview survey, which collects data on monthly expenditures such as housing.
  • A diary survey, which collects weekly expenditures of frequently purchased items such as food and beverages.

The Census Bureau collects the data under contract with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Further details on the Consumer Expenditure Survey program are available at https://www.bls.gov/cex/home.htm. Documentation on the two survey components and their integration, as well as limitations of the data, are found on the Frequently Asked Questions page at https://www.bls.gov/cex/csxfaqs.htm. In this chartbook, medians and distributions are calculated using only the interview survey. Means are calculated using data from both the interview and diary surveys. The mean household expenditure for each expenditure category is the sum of spending for that category by all households divided by the sum of total expenditures for all households.

Surveys are subject to sampling error because observations are not taken for the entire population. Information on the sampling error in the 2015 Survey of Consumer Expenditures can be found in the survey documentation available at https://www.bls.gov/cex/2015/csxintvw.pdf.