Federal Reserve Board releases results of the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, providing the public and policymakers with detailed insights into the economic condition of American families
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve Board on Friday released the comprehensive results of the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, a landmark periodic study that provides the public, researchers, and economic policymakers with detailed, highly granular insights into the financial condition, assets, and liabilities of American households.
The data release, published at 10:00 a.m. EDT, offers a robust and statistically representative picture of what Americans own, how much and in what ways they borrow, and how they interact with the banking system. Conducted in its current triennial format every three years since 1989, the survey forms the backbone of an extensive longitudinal time series. This historical depth allows economists to track long-term structural shifts in household wealth, debt accumulation, and financial security across generations and varying macroeconomic cycles.
Alongside the primary microdata release, the Board issued a comprehensive summary report titled Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2022 to 2025. This accompanying document closely examines the multi-year trajectory of American households, analyzing shifts in family income, net worth, total assets, outstanding debt burdens, and overall financial vulnerability against the backdrop of recent economic developments.
To help analysts, journalists, and the broader public interpret the vast amounts of information contained in the survey, the Federal Reserve also launched an interactive chartbook. This digital tool displays dynamic changes in household financial characteristics over time, allowing users to visualize trends across different demographic groups, income brackets, and net worth percentiles. Furthermore, the complete, anonymized microdata alongside extensive documentation examining other dimensions of family economic well-being has been made publicly available for independent academic and policy research.
The Survey of Consumer Finances is executed on behalf of the Federal Reserve Board by NORC at the University of Chicago, a renowned social science research organization. To ensure that the findings accurately reflect the entire population, participants in the study are chosen at random from 119 distinct geographic areas across the United States. This scientific sampling methodology encompasses a wide array of locations, ranging from densely populated major metropolitan areas to remote rural counties. By employing rigorous random sampling and weighting procedures, the survey aims to capture a sample that is genuinely representative of the diverse economic realities faced by American families nationwide.
The release of these findings comes at a crucial time for economic analysis, as policymakers and financial experts evaluate the lingering effects of inflationary pressures, changing interest rate environments, and shifting labor market dynamics on household balance sheets. The detailed metrics compiled in the 2025 survey will serve as a foundational resource for evaluating the resilience of consumer finances and shaping future monetary and fiscal policies.
For media inquiries regarding the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, the Federal Reserve Board has directed journalists to contact media relations via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (202) 452-2955.
