Chart 1. Consumer Spending and Real Income Dipped Only Briefly During the Recent Recession
 Year-Over-Year Change
  Real Consumer Spending Real Disposable Income
1978 2.64% 3.94%
  3.59% 5.55%
  4.54% 5.12%
  5.01% 5.75%
  5.18% 5.72%
  5.62% 5.33%
  4.33% 5.19%
  5.30% 5.21%
  4.78% 4.85%
  4.10% 4.64%
  3.84% 4.12%
  4.26% 4.24%
1979 5.13% 4.96%
  4.17% 4.51%
  3.25% 3.90%
  2.04% 2.76%
  1.81% 2.70%
  1.64% 2.57%
  1.98% 2.62%
  2.16% 2.31%
  2.61% 1.91%
  2.16% 2.09%
  2.11% 2.17%
  1.22% 2.03%
1980 2.32% 2.49%
  0.91% 1.75%
  -0.04% 0.55%
  -0.71% 0.43%
  -1.42% -0.11%
  -1.18% 0.10%
  -0.24% 0.16%
  -1.24% -0.02%
  -1.56% 0.57%
  -0.11% 1.12%
  -0.72% 1.16%
  0.24% 1.49%
1981 -0.49% 0.58%
  0.16% 0.70%
  1.33% 1.59%
  2.28% 1.74%
  2.85% 2.42%
  3.10% 2.85%
  2.03% 3.80%
  2.57% 4.15%
  1.94% 3.55%
  0.20% 2.67%
  0.24% 2.14%
  0.10% 1.15%
1982 -0.22% 1.15%
  0.86% 1.69%
  0.41% 1.68%
  0.80% 3.26%
  1.06% 2.84%
  -0.19% 1.60%
  0.61% 0.81%
  0.03% 0.43%
  1.60% 0.55%
  2.58% 0.28%
  3.65% 0.74%
  3.49% 1.30%
1983 3.79% 1.60%
  2.84% 1.49%
  4.08% 1.83%
  4.70% 1.02%
  5.02% 1.71%
  6.58% 2.53%
  6.59% 3.21%
  6.69% 3.01%
  5.97% 3.98%
  6.46% 4.84%
  5.94% 5.24%
  6.75% 5.97%
1984 7.57% 6.46%
  6.16% 7.27%
  5.89% 7.55%
  5.88% 8.30%
  5.85% 8.12%
  5.60% 8.82%
  4.49% 7.71%
  4.76% 8.83%
  5.28% 8.67%
  4.07% 7.06%
  5.26% 6.88%
  4.11% 6.70%
1985 4.07% 6.16%
  5.90% 4.35%
  4.88% 3.02%
  4.51% 4.05%
  5.12% 6.21%
  3.87% 3.11%
  5.03% 2.77%
  5.61% 2.05%
  6.38% 1.39%
  5.10% 2.88%
  3.94% 2.14%
  5.02% 2.14%
1986 4.28% 2.08%
  3.65% 3.62%
  4.14% 5.30%
  4.48% 3.54%
  3.89% 1.29%
  4.21% 3.49%
  4.20% 3.70%
  3.69% 3.72%
  4.45% 3.72%
  4.52% 2.74%
  3.86% 2.85%
  4.97% 2.35%
1987 2.34% 2.82%
  4.43% 2.81%
  4.12% 1.96%
  3.98% -2.14%
  3.42% 1.82%
  4.08% 1.86%
  3.88% 1.83%
  4.20% 2.19%
  1.46% 2.14%
  2.90% 3.03%
  3.30% 3.37%
  1.87% 3.93%
1988 5.31% 3.60%
  3.53% 3.59%
  4.38% 3.81%
  3.45% 8.05%
  4.03% 4.00%
  3.87% 4.43%
  3.63% 4.48%
  3.31% 4.24%
  3.52% 4.39%
  4.46% 4.22%
  4.61% 4.10%
  4.37% 4.04%
1989 3.57% 4.09%
  3.28% 3.65%
  2.32% 3.65%
  3.32% 3.18%
  2.57% 2.60%
  2.43% 2.56%
  2.47% 2.22%
  3.00% 2.18%
  3.05% 1.90%
  2.09% 1.54%
  1.89% 1.95%
  2.10% 1.30%
1990 2.57% 1.96%
  2.25% 2.24%
  2.67% 1.80%
  2.30% 2.74%
  2.33% 2.86%
  2.51% 2.71%
  2.43% 3.03%
  1.48% 2.40%
  1.68% 2.53%
  1.09% 1.69%
  0.98% 1.12%
  -0.15% 1.27%
1991 -1.54% 0.04%
  -0.55% -0.19%
  0.19% 0.03%
  -0.31% -0.16%
  0.03% 0.11%
  -0.31% 0.46%
  -0.10% -0.13%
  -0.34% 0.38%
  -0.32% 0.51%
  -0.11% 0.96%
  0.43% 1.03%
  0.83% 1.49%
1992 3.07% 2.65%
  2.56% 2.92%
  1.63% 2.78%
  1.94% 2.71%
  2.17% 3.02%
  2.38% 2.56%
  2.28% 2.60%
  2.12% 2.44%
  3.38% 2.62%
  4.22% 3.47%
  3.97% 3.50%
  4.62% 5.93%
1993 3.01% 1.29%
  3.19% 0.79%
  2.39% 0.39%
  3.51% 1.78%
  3.12% 1.69%
  3.54% 1.53%
  3.73% 1.62%
  4.30% 2.08%
  3.47% 1.67%
  3.40% 1.19%
  3.47% 1.33%
  3.19% 1.31%
1994 3.00% 1.09%
  4.26% 2.35%
  5.04% 3.05%
  4.00% 1.51%
  4.03% 2.75%
  3.80% 2.72%
  3.26% 2.84%
  3.78% 2.69%
  3.49% 3.26%
  3.68% 4.00%
  3.62% 3.72%
  3.36% 1.05%
1995 4.12% 5.15%
  2.20% 3.88%
  2.63% 3.57%
  2.46% 2.63%
  3.20% 2.08%
  3.61% 2.42%
  3.18% 2.48%
  3.32% 2.32%
  2.88% 2.15%
  2.22% 1.50%
  2.80% 1.85%
  3.30% 1.67%
1996 2.56% 1.42%
  3.83% 2.10%
  3.35% 2.29%
  4.11% 2.24%
  3.39% 2.54%
  2.59% 2.86%
  3.17% 2.76%
  2.79% 3.04%
  3.16% 3.01%
  3.61% 2.62%
  2.94% 2.51%
  2.79% 2.63%
1997 3.80% 2.90%
  3.17% 2.45%
  3.25% 2.65%
  2.74% 3.72%
  2.47% 2.84%
  3.17% 2.58%
  4.14% 2.83%
  3.87% 3.00%
  3.85% 2.97%
  3.89% 3.59%
  4.17% 3.88%
  4.15% 3.92%
1998 3.66% 4.58%
  4.32% 5.14%
  4.67% 5.49%
  4.62% 5.62%
  5.78% 5.68%
  5.48% 5.84%
  4.32% 5.81%
  4.52% 5.58%
  4.99% 5.59%
  5.01% 5.33%
  4.92% 5.06%
  5.19% 4.70%
1999 4.94% 4.28%
  4.83% 3.67%
  5.03% 3.13%
  5.37% 2.57%
  4.39% 2.38%
  4.69% 2.23%
  5.12% 1.93%
  5.11% 2.20%
  4.80% 1.43%
  4.84% 2.00%
  4.74% 2.36%
  5.40% 2.98%
2000 5.22% 3.69%
  5.26% 3.84%
  4.92% 4.01%
  4.43% 4.61%
  4.70% 5.04%
  4.29% 4.95%
  4.15% 5.54%
  4.06% 5.29%
  4.62% 5.87%
  3.98% 5.36%
  3.72% 4.75%
  2.94% 4.28%
2001 3.56% 3.00%
  2.71% 2.62%
  2.23% 2.38%
  2.51% 2.03%
  2.46% 1.05%
  2.29% 0.88%
  2.32% 2.02%
  2.31% 3.51%
  0.85% 2.88%
  3.08% 0.09%
  2.78% 0.24%
  2.50% 0.70%
2002 2.45% 3.51%
  3.16% 3.99%
  3.30% 3.99%
  3.13% 4.09%
  2.92% 5.05%
  3.14% 5.75%
  3.86% 3.72%
  3.65% 2.02%
  3.74% 2.75%
  1.93% 5.29%
  2.71% 5.37%
  3.43% 5.09%
2003 2.97% 2.77%
  1.90% 2.19%
  2.37% 1.87%
  2.55% 2.25%
  3.08% 2.16%
  3.13% 1.61%
  2.75% 3.27%


Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis/Haver Analytics