Which Consumer Goods Do Americans Buy Most? (2024)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an American household earning an annual income of $94,003 spent about $72,967 on consumer goods in 2022. Housing costs accounted for over 33% of the total expenditures for goods and services.

Key Takeaways

  • Consumer goods are products manufactured and sold for final consumption by the purchaser.
  • Non-durable consumer goods are consumed immediately or have a life span of fewer than three years—examples are food and clothing.
  • Durable consumer goods have a life span of over three years and include cars and furniture.

What Are Consumer Goods?

Consumer goods are also known as retail goods and include food, clothing, electronics, jewelry, personal hygiene products, household cleaning products,furniture, books, magazines, tools, and other outdoor equipment. The purchasers of consumer goods do not resell the goods but will use them daily. Expenditures on consumer goods account for nearly one-third of total consumer spending annually.

Consumer goods include durable and non-durable consumer goods. Durable consumer goods are products with a lifespan greater than three years, such as cars, furniture, and appliances. Non-durable consumer goods are consumed immediately like food or clothing.

In the United States, measuring the amount of money spent on consumer goods is key to calculating the country's gross domestic product (GDP), which measures the size of the economy and growth rate.

Consumer Spending

A subcategory of consumer goods, consumer staples are products individuals consider essential and buy the most. These products include beverages, food, household items, and tobacco. Other consumer goods that people buy regularly are cleaning products, personal hygiene items, andclothing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an American household earning an average income of $94,003 before taxes in 2022 allocated annual spending on average to:

  • Food at home: $5,703
  • Food away from home: $3,639
  • Apparel and services: $1,945
  • Vehicle purchases: $4,496
  • Gasoline, other fuels: $3,120
  • Personal care products and services: $866
  • Entertainment: $3,458

What Affects Consumer Spending?

Consumer spending can reflect fluctuations in economic conditions. Expenditures for jewelry, electronics, and automobiles are typically subject to the greatest fluctuations. These are areas where consumers tend to cut back their expenses substantially during difficult economic times when they have less disposable income remaining after paying for basic expenses such as food, housing, and utilities.

Why Is Consumer Spending Used as an Economic Indicator?

Consumer spending, which includes consumer goods and other expenditures like housing and transportation,is reported monthly and considered a leading economic indicator. The goods and services purchased by those in the United States help gauge the economy's strength.

How Can the U.S. Government Boost Consumer Spending?

During periods when the overall economy and consumer spending are sluggish, the U.S. government sometimes attempts to stimulate spending through tax cuts. Such tax cuts can increaseconsumer spending and boost the overall economy. The effectiveness of this tactic is limited during times of high unemployment since the effects of higher unemployment tend to offset extra consumer spending by those employed.

The Bottom Line

Consumer goods include durable and non-durable consumer goods. In 2022, Americans spent over one-third of their income on housing. An additional third of income was spent on food and transportation. Changes in consumer spending reflect economic conditions and are monitored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which Consumer Goods Do Americans Buy Most? (2024)

FAQs

Which Consumer Goods Do Americans Buy Most? ›

Consumer Spending

A subcategory of consumer goods, consumer staples are products individuals consider essential and buy the most. These products include beverages, food, household items, and tobacco. Other consumer goods that people buy regularly are cleaning products, personal hygiene items, and clothing.

What are most Americans buying? ›

Consumer Spending

A subcategory of consumer goods, consumer staples are products individuals consider essential and buy the most. These products include beverages, food, household items, and tobacco. Other consumer goods that people buy regularly are cleaning products, personal hygiene items, and clothing.

What are the most commonly purchased consumer goods? ›

Consumer staples such as food, beverages, personal hygiene products, and clothing are frequently bought consumer goods. Nondurable goods are consumed in less than three years and are commonly only once.

What do Americans spend the most on? ›

Average American household expenses

According to the BLS survey, the largest expenditures were housing and transportation, which comprised 26 percent and 13 percent of people's pay, respectively. Another big spending category was food, to which 10 percent was devoted.

What does the American consumer want? ›

The trends that emerged during the pandemic persisted in 2021 and are expected to continue in 2022. Consumers want to save money, to eat healthier products and to make socially responsible choices (McKinsey, 2022).

What does America buy the most? ›

What Are the Major U.S. Imports?
  • Machinery (including computers and hardware) – $386.4 billion.
  • Electrical machinery – $367.1 billion.
  • Vehicles and automobiles – $306.7 billion.
  • Minerals, fuels, and oil – $241.4 billion.
  • Pharmaceuticals – $116.3 billion.
  • Medical equipment and supplies – $93.4 billion.
Dec 17, 2019

What products are sold the most in the US? ›

Here's our list of the top-selling products for 2024 and how we think they'll perform this year.
  • Apparel. The average American family spends upwards of $1,700 on clothes per year. ...
  • Skin care and beauty. ...
  • Perfume. ...
  • Pet supplements. ...
  • Shoes. ...
  • Supplements and probiotics. ...
  • Cleaning products. ...
  • Coffee products.
Aug 28, 2024

What is the #1 consumer item in the world? ›

1. What is the Most Sold Product in the World? The fashion industry produces the most sold product in the world: clothing and accessories. This trillion-dollar industry has a wide range of products such as shoes, accessories, clothing, jewelry, etc.

What is the most consumed product? ›

Concrete is the second most consumed product on earth, after water. Yet, by comparison, concrete construction represents millions of more jobs and a much greater economic return than water. In fact, sustainable water projects rely heavily on concrete for storage, distribution, and reclamation.

Who are the biggest consumers in America? ›

“At 47.8 million strong and a buying power that's on par with many countries' gross domestic products, African Americans continue to outpace spending nationally,” said Cheryl Grace, Nielsen's Senior Vice President of Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement and co-creator of the DIS Report in 2019.

What does us spend most on? ›

Generally, Congress allocates over half of the discretionary budget towards national defense and the rest to fund the administration of other agencies and programs. These programs range from transportation, education, housing, and social service programs, as well as science and environmental organizations.

What do Americans pay for the most? ›

American tax dollars mostly go to social services.

Human services – including education, health, Social Security, Medicare, income security and veterans benefits – together will account for 66% ($4.6 trillion) of federal government spending in fiscal 2024, according to OMB estimates.

What is the latest craze in America? ›

Top consumer trends of 2023
  • Trend 1: Funny messaging out of favor. ...
  • Trend 2: Brands must “be political” ...
  • Trend 3: VR marketing is an opportunity. ...
  • Trend 4: Socializing is back. ...
  • Trend 5: Amazon gains market share. ...
  • Trend 6: Fast fashion faces a reckoning. ...
  • Trend 7: Streaming services chopped. ...
  • Trend 8: Diets changing (for the worse)

Why do Americans buy so much stuff? ›

One of the major things that enables American buying habits, he told me, is the separation of consumption from production. Goods are produced far away, and when we tire of them, the trash they create is also swiftly moved out of our field of vision.

How does the average US consumer spend? ›

Overall, housing accounted for the largest share (33.3 percent), followed by transportation (16.8 percent), food (12.8 percent), personal insurance and pensions (12.0 percent), and healthcare (8.0 percent). Each of the remaining categories contributed less than 5.0 percent of total expenditures.

What are the world's most buying things? ›

Automobiles: Cars and other forms of transportation are essential for many people around the world. Electronics and Gadgets: Products like laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices are in constant demand. Clothing and Apparel: Fashion items are always in demand as people continuously seek new styles and trends.

What brings in the most money for America? ›

Biggest Industries by Revenue in the US in 2024
  1. Commercial Banking in the US. ...
  2. Hospitals in the US. ...
  3. Drug, Cosmetic & Toiletry Wholesaling in the US. ...
  4. Health & Medical Insurance in the US. ...
  5. Pharmaceuticals Wholesaling in the US. ...
  6. New Car Dealers in the US. ...
  7. Life Insurance & Annuities in the US. ...
  8. Public Schools in the US.

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