Household Final Consumption Expenditure

Household final consumption expenditure represents the spending of resident households (either in Canada or when they are temporarily abroad) on goods and services.

The goods and services are consumed by the household within the year they are purchased. They are not used as an input into the subsequent production of goods and services and are not fixed assets which provide the household with ongoing (capital) services for more than one year (such as a house).

There are a few exceptions to this definition. For example, purchases of motor vehicles and furniture are considered household final consumption expenditure even though they provide the household with capital services generally lasting more than one year.

The Canadian classification of household final consumption expenditure is closely aligned with the international classification of individual consumption according to purpose (COICOP). This classification categorises expenditures according to the purpose they serve. This table provides estimates of household expenditures on goods and services by detailed expenditure category.