Guess the number
US household spending rose 22.4% from 2021 to 2025. How much more did households buy after inflation?
About 3% more: prices rose 18.7% over the same years.
Key facts
- The average US household spent $81,905 in 2025, 22.4% more than in 2021 ($66,928).
- Consumer prices rose 18.7% over the same four years, so real spending rose only about 3.1%.
- Incomes outpaced prices: pre-tax income rose 26.8%, about 6.8% after inflation.
- In real terms, households spent more on eating out (+15%) and much less on furnishings (-27%).
US household spending after inflation tells a very different story from the headline numbers. Measured in dollars, the average household spent more than a fifth more in 2025 than in 2021. But most of that increase simply paid for higher prices: in real terms, households bought only about 3% more.
Published November 2026. All figures: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, average per consumer unit (similar to a household), 2021 to 2025, and the Consumer Price Index. Real changes divide spending growth by overall CPI inflation; prices of individual categories rose at different rates, so category real changes are approximate.
Spending and prices, year by year
Table of Contents
| Year | Average household spending | Change in spending | Change in prices (CPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $66,928 | – | – |
| 2022 | $72,973 | +9.0% | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $77,158 | +5.7% | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $78,527 | +1.8% | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $81,905 | +4.3% | 2.6% |
What grew and what shrank, after inflation
| Category | 2021 | 2025 | Change in dollars | Change after overall inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food away from home | $3,030 | $4,142 | +36.7% | +15.2% |
| Education | $1,226 | $1,583 | +29.1% | +8.8% |
| Food at home | $5,259 | $6,491 | +23.4% | +4.0% |
| Transportation | $10,961 | $13,492 | +23.1% | +3.7% |
| Housing | $22,624 | $27,790 | +22.8% | +3.5% |
| Healthcare | $5,452 | $6,470 | +18.7% | -0.0% |
| Apparel and services | $1,754 | $2,010 | +14.6% | -3.5% |
| Entertainment | $3,568 | $4,084 | +14.5% | -3.6% |
| Household furnishings and equipment | $2,701 | $2,355 | -12.8% | -26.5% |
Three takeaways
- Most of the rise was prices. Of the 22.4% increase in dollar spending, all but about 3 points reflected higher prices.
- Households shifted towards eating out, education and insurance, and away from furnishings, clothing and entertainment, which fell in real terms.
- Incomes rose faster than spending, so households spent a smaller share of pre-tax income: 73.9% in 2025, against 76.5% in 2021.
What it means
- For businesses: growth in sales measured in dollars can hide flat or falling volumes. Check real growth, especially in goods categories.
- For households: budgets are spending more on the same things; eating out and services kept growing in real terms, while home goods fell.
Explore the data
Questions
How much more do Americans spend than in 2021?
22.4% more in dollars ($81,905 against $66,928 per household), about 3.1% more after inflation.
Are Americans buying less?
Overall, no: real spending rose about 3.1%. But spending on furnishings, clothing and entertainment fell in real terms.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey 2021 to 2025 (2025 release, 29 October 2026); Consumer Price Index annual changes.
See our methodology. Cite as: Advanton (2026), "Americans Spend 22% More Than in 2021, but Buy Only About 3% More".
Last reviewed November 13, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.