Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024

Life and other personal insurance spending

U.S. households spent $575/yr on life and other personal insurance in 2024 - 0.7% of the average budget . Up 5.3% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 7.7×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.

2024 avg
$575
Budget share
0.7%
vs 2023
+5.3%

CES spend plate

Line LIFE-AND-OTHER-PER · Life and other personal insurance $575 · 0.7%

SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-UP · REAL-INLINE · REGION-WEST · BOOK-MID

  • SHARE-TRACE 0.7% of budget
  • QUINT-ELITE 7.7× Q5/Q1
  • YOY-UP +5.3% YoY
  • REAL-INLINE Near CPI
  • REGION-WEST West leads
  • BOOK-MID #61/99 dollars

Nearest dollar peer: Retirement, pensions, and Social Security (+$8,647)

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 Life and other personal insurance

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 · Life and other personal insurance

Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers

Source: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey As of 2024-12-31

View my saved categories →

Spending Trend (2020–2024)

Life and other personal insurance spending per household, 2020–2024

National average annual spending

Source: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey As of 2024-12-31

$450$500$550$600 20202021202220232024 $575
Year Annual Amount
2024 $575
2023 $546
2022 $519
2021 $473
2020 $486

Income stretch · mid-book life and other personal insurance

Mid-book CES line: income still stretches 7.7× from $174 (bottom quintile) to $1,339 (top).

Income Group Annual Amount
Lowest 20% $174
Second 20% $305
Middle 20% $435
Fourth 20% $618
Highest 20% $1,339

See full income breakdown →

West leads life and other personal insurance geographically

West leads at $648/yr.

Region Annual Amount
Midwest $523
Northeast $627
South $539
West $648

See full regional breakdown →

Lifecycle peak · 45–54

45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $771/yr.

Age Group Annual Amount
25–34 $254
35–44 $596
45–54 $771
55–64 $726
65–74 $665
75 and older $547
Under 25 $54

See full age breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on life and other personal insurance?
The average American household spent $575 on life and other personal insurance in 2024, according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. This represents 0.7% of total household spending.
Is life and other personal insurance spending increasing?
Life and other personal insurance spending increased by 5.3% from 2023 to 2024 ($546 to $575). Over 5 years (2020–2024), it changed by +18.3%.
How does income affect life and other personal insurance spending?
The lowest income quintile spends $174/year on life and other personal insurance, while the highest quintile spends $1,339/year, a 7.7x difference. Higher-income households spend more in absolute terms but may allocate a smaller share of their budget.
Which region spends the most on life and other personal insurance?
The West region spends the most at $648/year, while the Midwest region spends the least at $523/year on life and other personal insurance.
Which age group spends the most on life and other personal insurance?
Households headed by someone in the 45–54 age group spend the most on life and other personal insurance at $771/year.
Does household size affect life and other personal insurance spending?
Yes. 1 Person households spend $263/year on life and other personal insurance, while 4 People households spend $850/year. Larger households generally spend more in absolute terms on most categories.

Nationwide peers near life and other personal insurance

Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).

Similar dollar amount

Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($575 here).

Category 2024 avg
Personal services $547
Bakery products $539
Other household products $537
Dairy products $631
Women, 16 and over $632
Other entertainment supplies, equipment, and services $640
Alcoholic beverages $643
Furniture $648

Similar budget share

Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (0.7% here).

Category Budget share
Bakery products 0.7%
Other household products 0.7%
Personal services 0.7%
Footwear 0.6%
Men and boys 0.6%
Natural gas 0.6%
Other dairy products 0.6%
Alcoholic beverages 0.8%

Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source

Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.

Every figure on PlainHousehold is rendered directly from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.