How much do Americans spend on entertainment?

Canva From Beyoncé to Netflix to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the United States has long provided the world with entertainment of all kinds. But what role does the average American have as a consumer of entertainment? The act of consuming–enjoying music, movies, books, and other forms of entertainment–has certainly undergone drastic cultural changes in the last few decades. Add the onset of the pandemic, plus the consequent closure of theaters and music venues, and it’s hard to grasp what place entertainment still holds in an average consumer’s life. Stacker looked into the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Surveys from 2017 to 2021 to find out how much Americans spend on entertainment and how that has changed over the past few years. To the BLS, a few types of expenses would fall under entertainment. These include fees and admissions (such as those to sports events or concerts, even memberships or recreation expenses on trips); entertainment equipment (like TVs and video games); pet expenses; and even purchasing campers and recreational vehicles. Some expenses, such as reading material, surprisingly fall outside of such entertainment. The Bureau provides a detailed list for those curious enough to get into the weeds. COVID-19 has caused a drastic decrease in spending on entertainment and shifted how Americans spend their money. The surveys provide a helpful glimpse into just how entertainment spending has changed. What are the demographics of those spending the most and the least on entertainment? What categories of entertainment now dominate Americans’ wallets? How do these expenses compare with spending on housing, health care, and food? All of this information opens up a further conversation on the cultural significance of how entertainment affects the average American life. People’s spending on entertainment took a dip in the first year of the pandemic but has since rebounded