Household Share of Total Expenditures
Such studies typically find that consumption inequality is less than income inequality, though still significant. A 2012 study from the American Enterprise Institute, using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), found that the top 20% of households by income accounted for nearly 40% of total expenditures, while the bottom 20% accounted for less than 10% of expenditures. As the chart shows, the gap between the top and bottom has remained relatively constant – a finding that echoes those of other consumption-oriented researchers.
Household Share of Total Expenditures  | 45%  | 40%  | 35%  | 30%  | I I  | 25%  | Top Quintile  | 20%  | Bottom Quintile  | 15%  | 10%  | 5%  | 0%  | a  | :  | 8  | :  | S  | g  | g  | I  | I  | a  | :  | 2  | 2  | :  | SOURCE: American Enterprise Institute 