The Consumer Expenditure Survey is done by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As distributed by the BLS, the files are very difficult to use. The files in this directory come from John Sabelhaus of the Congressional Budget Office, and are reformated to make access to data more straightforward.
The BLS has posted quite a bit of information (including a faq on the CES Home Page. but documentation for the extracts is in the file cbo.doc on the NBER site.
The files cbofam.sas,cbomerge.sas and cbomemb.sas are examples showing how to read the data. Like this file the SAS programs are not from John but are from the NBER, which makes the files availble on its WWW site at http://www.nber.org/ces_cbo.
The online files are compressed with the Unix 'compress' command. A DOS program to decompress this format is included in a self-extracting file 'gzip124.exe'. Just execute the program, and follow the directions. When downloading the files, make sure that 'binary' mode is used. You may have better luck if you right click on the file name to initiate the download.
Suggested NIPA CBO/CEX
Var. Name CBO Position ($b in 1991)
family characteristics
newid 1 - 7
totwt 19 - 29
adjwt 30 - 40
fullyr 41
numearn 42 - 45
numauto 46 - 49
vehq 50 - 53
famsize 54 - 57 NIPA CBO/CEX
membcnt 58 - 59 ($b in 1991) CBO Documentation
personal income
wages 60 - 69 2978.5 2498.6 1 Wages and Salaries
bus 70 - 79 357.8 246.5 2 Proprietor's Accounting Profit
farm 80 - 89 45.5 19.6 3 Farm Accounting Profit
rents 90 - 99 61.3 20.6 4 Rental Accounting Profit
div 100 - 109 159.4 34.0 5 Dividends Received
int 110 - 119 275.6 54.5 6 Interest Received
pension 120 - 129 269.2 159.7 7 Government/Private Pensions
socsec 130 - 139 289.5 275.3 8 Social Security Benefits
ssi 140 - 149 22.4 17.5 9 Supplemental Security Income
unemp 150 - 159 39.5 20.2 10 Unemployment Compensation
workcomp 160 - 169 62.7 13.7 11 Worker's Comp/Veteran's Benefits
welfare 170 - 179 32.6 24.5 12 Public Assistance/Welfare
scholar 180 - 189 3.1 8.7 13 Scholarships, Foster Children
foodstmp 190 - 199 21.2 19.1 14 Food Stamp Benefits
pension contributions
gvpremia 200 - 209 21.2 8.7 15 Deductions For Government Retirement
rrpremia 210 - 219 1.3 0.2 16 Deductions For Railroad Retirement
sspremia 220 - 229 208.8 217.5 17 Deductions For Social Security
tax and nontax payments
fedtax 230 - 239 291.8 224.9 18 Federal Income Taxes
statax 240 - 249 118.1 63.7 19 State and Local Income Taxes
pproptax 250 - 259 3.3 11.3 20 Personal Property Taxes
othtax 260 - 269 28.5 6.2 21 Other Taxes
nontax 270 - 279 22.5 9.5 22 Nontaxes
food and tobacco
foodhome 280 - 289 372.8 321.7 23 Food Off-Premise
foodout 290 - 299 203.1 110.6 24 Food On-Premise
foodwork 300 - 309 7.5 2.2 25 Food Furnished Employees
tobacco 310 - 319 49.6 27.4 26 Tobacco Products
alcohol 320 - 329 50.5 12.7 27 Alcohol Off-Premise
niteclub 330 - 339 25.5 11.4 28 Alcohol On-Premise
clothin, accessories, jewely
clothes 340 - 349 225.3 107.2 29 Clothing and Shoes
tailors 350 - 359 24.7 12.5 30 Clothing Services
jewelry 360 - 369 33.2 12.5 31 Jewelry and Watches
personal care
toiletry 370 - 379 41.4 0.0 32 Toilet Articles and Preparations
hlthbeau 380 - 389 21.8 24.7 33 Barbershops, Beauty Parlors, Health Clubs
housing
renthome 390 - 399 160.1 170.5 34 Tenant-Occupied Nonfarm Dwellings--Rent
rentothr 400 - 409 23.1 20.5 35 Other Rented Lodging
household operation
furnish 410 - 419 128.2 71.8 36 Furniture and Durable Household Equipment
housuppl 420 - 429 83.2 0.0 37 Nondurable Household Supplies and Equipment
elect 430 - 439 77.0 77.9 38 Electricity
gas 440 - 449 29.5 26.3 39 Gas
water 450 - 459 31.1 23.6 40 Water and Other Sanitary Services
homefuel 460 - 469 10.9 10.1 41 Fuel Oil and Coal
telephon 470 - 479 70.3 62.4 42 Telephone and Telegraph
servants 480 - 489 40.3 48.1 43 Domestic Service, Other Household Operation
medical care
drugs 490 - 499 75.0 20.9 44 Drug Preparations
orthopd 500 - 509 11.6 7.2 45 Ophthalmic Products and Orthopedic Appliances
doctors 510 - 519 na 49.5 46 Physicians, Dentists, Other Medical Professionals
hospital 520 - 529 na 7.6 47 Hospitals
nurshome 530 - 539 na 1.7 48 Nursing Homes
helthins 540 - 549 na 77.9 49 Health Insurance
business services
busiserv 550 - 559 131.4 33.8 50 Business Services
lifeins 560 - 569 62.0 37.0 51 Expense of Handling Life Insurance
transportation
autos 570 - 579 177.1 216.5 52 New and Used Motor Vehicles
parts 580 - 589 29.8 13.3 53 Tires, Tubes, Accessories, and Other Parts
carservs 590 - 599 94.4 62.2 54 Repair, Greasing, Washing, Parking, Storage, Rental
gasoline 600 - 609 106.6 97.5 55 Gasoline and Oil
tolls 610 - 619 2.3 0.4 56 Bridge, Tunnel, Ferry, and Road Tolls
autoins 620 - 629 25.5 66.6 57 Auto Insurance
masstran 630 - 639 5.4 5.4 58 Mass Transit Systems
othtrans 640 - 649 7.3 6.1 59 Taxicab, Railway, Bus, and Other Travel Expenses
airfare 650 - 659 23.3 18.0 60 Airline Fares
entertainment
books 660 - 669 17.7 10.1 61 Books and Maps
pubs 670 - 679 68.1 30.0 62 Magazines, Newspapers, Other Nondurable Toys, etc.
recsport 680 - 689 91.1 53.8 63 Recreation and Sports Equipment
othrec 690 - 699 130.7 80.3 64 Other Recreation Services
gambling 700 - 709 3.3 0.0 65 Pari-Mutuel Net Receipts
education
highedu 710 - 719 44.9 22.2 66 Higher Education
lowedu 720 - 729 19.3 20.1 67 Nursery, Elementary, and Secondary Education
othedu 730 - 739 21.7 5.3 68 Other Education Services
charity and religious
charity 740 - 749 93.9 54.1 69 Religious and Welfare Activities
other variables, not NIPA compatible
insrefnd 750 - 759 na -17.0 70 Insurance Refunds (Negative)
intauto 760 - 769 na 24.6 71 Interest Paid By Consumers - Vehicles
intoth 770 - 779 na 21.6 72 Interest Paid By Consumers - Other
rentnpay 780 - 789 0.4 3.9 73 Rent Received as Pay
homevalu 790 - 799 na 6195.6 74 Market Value of Owned Home
homeval2 800 - 809 463.1 40.7 75 Rental Equivalence of Owned Home
ohint 810 - 819 221.6 203.3 76 Owned Housing Interest Payments
ohtax 820 - 829 73.3 80.1 77 Owned Housing Property Taxes
ohmaint 830 - 839 59.0 68.3 78 Owned Housing Intermediate Goods/Services
ohprinc 840 - 849 na 94.5 79 Owned Housing Mortgage Principal
ohlump 850 - 859 na 31.6 80 Owned Housing Lump Sum Mortgage Payments
ohsold 860 - 869 na 44.2 81 Owned Housing Properties Sold
ohbuy 870 - 879 167.2 128.0 82 Owned Housing Properties Purchased
ohmort1 880 - 889 na 476.8 83 Owned Housing, Mortgages Originated
ohmort2 890 - 899 na 6.1 84 Owned Housing Mortgage Held By Seller
ohtrans 900 - 909 na 6.6 85 Owned Housing Transactions Costs
housadd 910 - 919 58.3 43.2 86 Housing Additions and Alterations
checkng 920 - 929 na 190.9 87 Checking, Brokerage Accounts
dcheckng 930 - 939 na 13.1 88 Change In Checking, Brokerage Accounts
saving 940 - 949 na 644.3 89 Savings Accounts
dsaving 950 - 959 na -2.7 90 Change in Savings Account
securi 960 - 969 na 581.1 91 Market Value of Stocks and Bonds
dsecuri 970 - 979 na 41.3 92 Change in Stocks and Bonds
carloan 980 - 989 na 122.5 93 Amount Borrowed Vehicle Loan
tradein 990 - 999 na 36.1 94 Trade In Allowance For Vehicles
carsold 1000 - 1009 na 37.6 95 Vehicles Sold or Reimbursed
carprinc 1010 - 1019 na 91.7 96 Reduction of Principle On Vehicle Loan
investb 1020 - 1029 na 30.7 97 Net Assets Invested in Farm or Business
pnpremia 1030 - 1039 na 27.7 98 Contributions to Private Pensions
sepremia 1040 - 1049 na 33.0 99 Contributions to Self Employed Retirement
deltaiou 1050 - 1059 na 6.6 100 Change in Money Owed to Consumer Unit
owe1 1060 - 1069 na 186.5 101 Amount Owed First Interview
owe1q1 1070 - 1079 na 0.0 102 Amount Owed First Interview, Q1 Only
owe5 1080 - 1089 na 207.1 103 Amount Owed Fifth Interview
owe5q1 1090 - 1099 na 0.0 104 Amount Owed Fifth Interview, Q1 Only
give 1100 - 1109 na 45.8 105 Contributions Paid to Others, With Alimony/Child Support
receive 1110 - 1119 na 28.1 106 Contributions Received from Others, With Alimony/Child Suppo
give2 1120 - 1129 na 91.3 107 Contributions Paid: Measured on Expenditure File (1982-89 On
lumpsums 1130 - 1139 na 29.1 108 Lump Sum Receipts from Estates, Bequests, Inheritances, Etc.
othernet 1140 - 1149 na -1.9 109 Other Net Cash Inflow