Attachment K(b) - CE FactSheet

FACTSHEET
CONSUMER EXPENDITURE SURVEY (CE)

Bureau of Labor Statistics,
CE Survey
www.bls.gov/cex
www.bls.gov/respondents/cex
U.S. Census Bureau
www.census.gov/programs-surveys
/ce.html

Uses of CE Data
The CE is the only federal survey
providing information on the full range
of consumer spending. The CE:
• Allows the Department of Defense to
determine cost-of-living allowances for
U.S. military personnel.
• Provides information to entrepreneurs
looking to start a business or allocate
resources.
• Provides business and consumer
groups with information to study
consumer demand on a variety of
items.
• Allows researchers to study the
demand for goods and services and the
shifts in spending patterns over time.

Who Uses CE Data?
• Business establishments
• Private researchers
• Market researchers
• Colleges and universities
• Local, state, and U.S. government
agencies

CONTINUE ON REVERSE SIDE

FACTSHEET
CONSUMER EXPENDITURE SURVEY (CE)

The CE contributes to the
Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The CPI:
• Affects interest rates, wages, pensions,
Social Security benefits, dollar amount of tax
exemptions, income tax brackets, etc.
• Measures changes in the prices of consumer
goods and services.
• Is the only measure compiled by the U.S.
government designed to assess change in
the purchasing power of consumer dollars.
• Adds new items as spending patterns
change, for example, streaming services and
fitness trackers.
• Deletes items that become unimportant, e.g.,
record players and typewriters.
• Adjusts for changes in spending.
Changes to the CPI items are based on
information collected in the CE.
CE data is used by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to estimate the cost of
raising a child for various categories like health
care, education, and transportation. Foster
care and child support payments are based
on CE data.
CE data is used by the Center for Medicare
and Medicaid Services to help estimate what
Americans are spending on health care and
who's paying for the care. The CE is one of the
few sources in government or private industry
to provide information on out-of-pocket
health care expenses.

U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ce.html

Issued November 2021
CE-376 (11/21)