Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Retirement, pensions, and Social Security spending
U.S. households spent $9,222/yr on retirement, pensions, and social security in 2024 - 11.7% of the average budget ; the top income quintile outspends the bottom by 48.3×. Figures from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- 2024 avg
- $9,222
- Budget share
- 11.7%
CES spend plate
Line RETIREMENT-PENSION · Retirement, pensions, and Social Security $9,222 · 11.7%
SHARE-MAJOR · QUINT-ELITE · YOY-UNK · REAL-UNK · REGION-WEST · BOOK-TOP
- SHARE-MAJOR 11.7% of budget
- QUINT-ELITE 48.3× Q5/Q1
- YOY-UNK YoY n/a
- REAL-UNK Real change n/a
- REGION-WEST West leads
- BOOK-TOP #7/99 dollars
Nearest dollar peer: Life and other personal insurance ($-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 Retirement, pensions, and Social Security
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 · Retirement, pensions, and Social Security
Average annual spending · 2024 · poles + near peers
this line
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,222 |
Income stretch on a large retirement, pensions, and social security line
A large CES line: top-quintile households spend $25,940/yr here vs $537 at the bottom (48.3×).
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $537 |
| Second 20% | $2,407 |
| Middle 20% | $5,813 |
| Fourth 20% | $11,316 |
| Highest 20% | $25,940 |
West leads retirement, pensions, and social security geographically
West leads at $10,891/yr among the bigger CES categories.
Lifecycle peak · 45–54
45–54 heads spend the most on this line at $14,177/yr - a lifecycle peak on a large budget share.
Frequently Asked Questions (show 5)
How much does the average household spend on retirement, pensions, and social security? ▼
How does income affect retirement, pensions, and social security spending? ▼
Which region spends the most on retirement, pensions, and social security? ▼
Which age group spends the most on retirement, pensions, and social security? ▼
Does household size affect retirement, pensions, and social security spending? ▼
Other large CES lines near retirement, pensions, and social security
Dollar-amount and budget-share neighbours from BLS CE 2024 (this category excluded).
Similar dollar amount
Nearest other categories by 2024 average annual spending ($9,222 here).
| Category | 2024 avg |
|---|---|
| Owned dwellings | $9,310 |
| Personal insurance and pensions | $9,797 |
| Food | $10,169 |
| Food at home | $6,224 |
| Healthcare | $6,197 |
| Rented dwellings | $5,660 |
| Vehicle purchases (net outlay) | $5,337 |
| Transportation | $13,318 |
Similar budget share
Nearest other categories by share of the household budget (11.7% here).
| Category | Budget share |
|---|---|
| Owned dwellings | 11.9% |
| Personal insurance and pensions | 12.5% |
| Food | 12.9% |
| Food at home | 7.9% |
| Healthcare | 7.9% |
| Rented dwellings | 7.2% |
| Vehicle purchases (net outlay) | 6.8% |
| Transportation | 17.0% |
Average household budget · Methodology · BLS CEX source
Informational only - not advice. See disclaimer.