Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Drugs spending
U.S. households spent $658/yr on drugs in 2024 - 0.8% of the average budget . Up 11.3% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 2.3×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $658
- Budget share
- 0.8%
- vs 2023
- +11.3%
CES spend plate
Line DRUGS · Drugs $658 · 0.8%
SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-MOD · YOY-SURGE · REAL-BURDEN · REGION-WEST · BOOK-MID
- SHARE-TRACE 0.8% of budget
- QUINT-MOD 2.3× Q5/Q1
- YOY-SURGE +11.3% YoY
- REAL-BURDEN Above CPI
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-MID #55/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Medical supplies ($-425)
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 Drugs
Lowest and highest poles plus nearest dollar peers among sibling lines, not a full-board reprint. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Dollar neighbourhood · Drugs
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Drugs spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $658 |
| 2023 | $591 |
| 2022 | $615 |
| 2021 | $498 |
| 2020 | $476 |
Income stretch · mid-book drugs
Mid-book CES line: income still stretches 2.3× from $416 (bottom quintile) to $957 (top).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $416 |
| Second 20% | $644 |
| Middle 20% | $572 |
| Fourth 20% | $700 |
| Highest 20% | $957 |
West leads drugs geographically
West leads at $703/yr.
Lifecycle peak · 75 and older
75 and older heads spend the most on this line at $959/yr.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on drugs? ▼
Is drugs spending increasing? ▼
How does income affect drugs spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on drugs? ▼
Which age group spends the most on drugs? ▼
Does household size affect drugs spending? ▼
Nationwide peers near drugs
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($658 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Furniture | $648 |
| Alcoholic beverages | $643 |
| Other entertainment supplies, equipment, and services | $640 |
| Women, 16 and over | $632 |
| Dairy products | $631 |
| Nonalcoholic beverages | $714 |
| Life and other personal insurance | $575 |
| Women and girls | $744 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (0.8% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Alcoholic beverages | 0.8% |
| Dairy products | 0.8% |
| Furniture | 0.8% |
| Other entertainment supplies, equipment, and services | 0.8% |
| Women, 16 and over | 0.8% |
| Nonalcoholic beverages | 0.9% |
| Women and girls | 0.9% |
| Bakery products | 0.7% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.