Consumer Behavior

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is the only national cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction in the United States. The Index measures the satisfaction of U.S. household consumers with the quality of products and services offered by both foreign and domestic firms with significant share in U.S. markets. The ACSI benefits business, researchers, policymakers, and consumers alike by serving as a national indicator of the health of the U.S. economy, as well as a tool for gauging the competitiveness of individual firms and predicting future profitability.

The AHS is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey is the most comprehensive national housing survey in the United States.

Beyond the Numbers is a Bureau of Labor Statistics publication that strives to bring interesting data stories to you. News releases typically focus on the headline numbers, but this publication delves deeper and gives you a peek at what goes on Beyond the Numbers.

The Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) program provides data on expenditures, income, and demographic characteristics of consumers in the United States.

Consumer spending is a key component of quarterly gross domestic product. BEA's monthly consumer spending statistics also are closely watched as early gauges of the economy's strength. Spending data for the nation and each state help businesses predict consumer behavior and make decisions about hiring and investing. These statistics also help policymakers and researchers understand the interplay between Americans' incomes, spending and saving.

​​​Since 1972, the General Social Survey (GSS) has provided politicians, policymakers, and scholars with a clear and unbiased perspective on what Americans think and feel about such issues as national spendi​ng priorities, crime and punishment, intergroup relations, and confidence in institutions.

The Household Pulse Survey is a 20-minute online survey studying how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting households across the country from a social and economic perspective. The survey asks questions about how education, employment, food security, health, housing, social security benefits, household spending, consumer spending associated with stimulus payments, intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, and transportation have been affected by the ongoing crisis.

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has monitored the health of the nation since 1957. NHIS data on a broad range of health topics are collected through personal household interviews.

The National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES), the flagship household survey program of the National Center for Education Statistics, collects nationally representative, descriptive data on the educational activities of children and adults in the United States.

The PCE price index, released each month in the Personal Income and Outlays report, reflects changes in the prices of goods and services purchased by consumers in the United States. Quarterly and annual data are included in the GDP release.

From the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This page contains many different measures of economic activity. It not only includes Personal Consumption Expenditures by State, it also includes quarterly personal Income by State, Annual Gross Domestic Product by State, County, and Metropolitan Area, plus Personal Income and Employment by County and Metropolitan Area, plus other economic statistics.