This chartbook examines the spending patterns of the aged population (65 or older) using data from the 2002 Consumer Expenditure Survey Public-Use File. The charts compare expenditures of the aged population with those of the near aged (55-64). Many charts also compare those aged 65-75 and 75 or older. The data include total and per capita expenditures and expenditures for housing, food, health care, transportation, and travel.

The goal of the Expenditures of the Aged Chartbook is to improve the availability of statistics on expenditures of the aged. Measures of standards of living, such as expenditures, are important to help policymakers and researchers who are concerned about the adequacy of economic resources of the aged. This article contains examples of the charts available in the chartbook.

Expenditures of the Aged Chartbook, 2015 examines the spending patterns of the population aged 55 or older, focusing mainly on the expenditures of those aged 65 or older. Policymakers and researchers are concerned about the adequacy of economic resources of the elderly. Income tells part of the story with regard to adequacy, but it is also useful to seek out other measures of standards of living, such as expenditures. The goal of this chartbook is to improve the availability of statistics on expenditures.This chartbook is based on data from the 2015 Consumer Expenditure Survey Public-Use File, sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It contains many comparisons of the expenditures of the aged population (65 or older) with those of the near aged (55-64). Many charts include additional detail for those aged 65-74 and those aged 75 or older.Some charts in this book use box plots to show distributions of expenditures by presenting the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile values for expenditure amounts or the percentages of total expenditures allocated to various components. The box plots are described on page 4.