Consumer expenditure microdata · Anonymized respondent expenditures, income and demographics
BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey Public Use Microdata: coverage and access
Use CE microdata to study household spending patterns and segment-level expenditure questions.
What it covers
Geography and granularity
Geography: Coverage depends on the source's documented geographic and time scope
Granularity: Provider-described dataset or API records available at the indicated geography and time scope.
Source type: Anonymized respondent expenditures, income and demographics
Potential use
Use CE microdata to study household spending patterns and segment-level expenditure questions.
Access and cost
Public dataset/API or provider account
Review the source page for registration, API-key, quota and usage terms before accessing or redistributing data.
Cost: Public access is described, but any registration, account and downstream hosting costs should be checked.
Update cadence: Release cadence varies by provider and dataset; confirm the specific collection or reference period.
- Provider page ↗Primary source reviewed 2026-10-09
- Documentation and access details ↗Check the provider's current terms and instructions before use
Interpret carefully
Limits that affect the decision
Interview and Diary surveys are separate; anonymization and disclosure adjustments affect rare subgroup analysis.
Release cadence varies by provider and dataset; confirm the specific collection or reference period.
This record summarizes source documentation; Jon Bishop did not conduct an independent audit of the underlying dataset.