Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs spending

U.S. households spent $1,414/yr on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs in 2024 - 1.8% of the average budget . Up 21.5% vs 2023 ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 2.3×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.

2024 avg
$1,414
Budget share
1.8%
vs 2023
+21.5%

CES spend plate

Line MEATS-POULTRY-FISH · Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs $1,414 · 1.8%

SHARE-TRACE · QUINT-MOD · YOY-SURGE · REAL-BURDEN · REGION-NE · BOOK-MID

  • SHARE-TRACE 1.8% of budget
  • QUINT-MOD 2.3× Q5/Q1
  • YOY-SURGE +21.5% YoY
  • REAL-BURDEN Above CPI
  • REGION-NE Northeast leads
  • BOOK-MID #33/99 dollars

Nearest dollar peer: Fruits and vegetables ($-461)

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 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

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 · Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers

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

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Spending Trend (2020–2024)

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs spending per household, 2020–2024

National average annual spending

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

$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300$1,400$1,500 20202021202220232024 $1,414
Year Annual Amount
2024 $1,414
2023 $1,164
2022 $1,216
2021 $1,115
2020 $1,075

Subcategories

Beef · $408 (29%) Poultry · $267 (19%) Pork · $260 (18%) Fish and seafood · $224 (16%) Other meats · $150 (11%) Eggs · $105 (7%)

How the $1,414 meats, poultry, fish, and eggs total divides across subcategories (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024).

Subcategory Annual Amount (2024)
Beef $408
Pork $260
Other meats $150
Poultry $267
Fish and seafood $224
Eggs $105

Income stretch on a large meats, poultry, fish, and eggs line

A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $2,074/yr here vs $889 at the bottom (2.3×).

Income Group Annual Amount
Lowest 20% $889
Second 20% $1,117
Middle 20% $1,342
Fourth 20% $1,647
Highest 20% $2,074

See full income breakdown →

Northeast leads meats, poultry, fish, and eggs geographically

Northeast leads at $1,686/yr among the bigger CES categories.

Region Annual Amount
Midwest $1,298
Northeast $1,686
South $1,291
West $1,526

See full regional breakdown →

Lifecycle peak · 45–54

45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $1,782/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.

Age Group Annual Amount
25–34 $1,345
35–44 $1,669
45–54 $1,782
55–64 $1,402
65–74 $1,285
75 and older $1,002
Under 25 $885

See full age breakdown →

Frequently Asked Questions (show 6)
How much does the average household spend on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs?
The average American household spent $1,414 on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs in 2024, according to the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. This represents 1.8% of total household spending.
Is meats, poultry, fish, and eggs spending increasing?
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs spending increased by 21.5% from 2023 to 2024 ($1,164 to $1,414). Over 5 years (2020–2024), it changed by +31.5%.
How does income affect meats, poultry, fish, and eggs spending?
The lowest income quintile spends $889/year on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, while the highest quintile spends $2,074/year, a 2.3x difference. Higher-income households spend more in absolute terms but may allocate a smaller share of their budget.
Which region spends the most on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs?
The Northeast region spends the most at $1,686/year, while the South region spends the least at $1,291/year on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.
Which age group spends the most on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs?
Households headed by someone in the 45–54 age group spend the most on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs at $1,782/year.
Does household size affect meats, poultry, fish, and eggs spending?
Yes. 1 Person households spend $721/year on meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, while 5 or More households spend $2,459/year. Larger households generally spend more in absolute terms on most categories.

Other large CES lines near meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

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

Similar dollar amount

Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($1,414 here).

Category 2024 avg
Other household expenses $1,374
Telephone services $1,460
Cellular phone service $1,359
Other lodging $1,347
Miscellaneous foods $1,284
Education $1,569
Medical services $1,252
Miscellaneous $1,218

Similar budget share

Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (1.8% here).

Category Budget share
Telephone services 1.9%
Cellular phone service 1.7%
Other household expenses 1.7%
Other lodging 1.7%
Education 2.0%
Medical services 1.6%
Miscellaneous 1.6%
Miscellaneous foods 1.6%

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.