Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024 · #7 largest category
Cash contributions spending
U.S. households spent $2,292/yr on cash contributions in 2024 - 2.9% of the average budget . Down 3.6% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 6.5×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $2,292
- Budget share
- 2.9%
- vs 2023
- -3.6%
CES spend plate
Line CASH-CONTRIBUTIONS · Cash contributions $2,292 · 2.9%
SHARE-THIN · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-DOWN · REAL-EASE · REGION-WEST · BOOK-UPPER
- SHARE-THIN 2.9% of budget
- QUINT-ELITE 6.5× Q5/Q1
- YOY-DOWN -3.6% YoY
- REAL-EASE Below CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-UPPER #26/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Apparel and services ($-291)
Instrument codes from this line’s budget share, income-quintile gap, YoY move, real change vs ~21% CPI-U (2020-2024), regional lead, and corpus book size, not a budgeting recommendation.
Spend neighbourhood around Cash contributions
Lowest and highest poles plus nearest dollar peers among major categories, not a full-board reprint. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Dollar neighbourhood · Cash contributions
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Cash contributions spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,292 |
| 2023 | $2,378 |
| 2022 | $2,755 |
| 2021 | $2,415 |
| 2020 | $2,283 |
Income stretch on a large cash contributions line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $5,031/yr here vs $778 at the bottom (6.5×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $778 |
| Second 20% | $1,420 |
| Middle 20% | $1,924 |
| Fourth 20% | $2,291 |
| Highest 20% | $5,031 |
West leads cash contributions geographically
West leads at $2,564/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 75 and older
75 and older heads spend the most on this line at $3,497/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on cash contributions? ▼
Is cash contributions spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect cash contributions spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on cash contributions? ▼
Which age group spends the most on cash contributions? ▼
Does household size affect cash contributions spending? ▼
Other large CES lines near cash contributions
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($2,292 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Gasoline | $2,411 |
| Household furnishings and equipment | $2,414 |
| Other food at home | $2,447 |
| Cars and trucks, new | $2,469 |
| Apparel and services | $2,001 |
| Vehicle insurance | $1,993 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $2,645 |
| Household operations | $1,921 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (2.9% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Cars and trucks, new | 3.1% |
| Gasoline | 3.1% |
| Household furnishings and equipment | 3.1% |
| Other food at home | 3.1% |
| Apparel and services | 2.5% |
| Vehicle insurance | 2.5% |
| Gasoline and other fuels | 3.4% |
| Household operations | 2.4% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.