PRIMERICA HOUSEHOLD BUDGET INDEX™ (HBI™): Middle-Income Americans See Modest Improvement in Purchasing Power in August
Business Wire•30/09/2026•00:00 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤HBI 100.6% in August, up 0.1% from July
- ➤HBI increased 0.4% year-over-year
- ➤Average earned income rose 0.3% month-over-month
- ➤Average earned income increased 3.3% year-over-year
- ➤Necessity costs rose 3.7% year-over-year for middle-income Americans
Expert Statements
Amy Crews Cutts, Chief economic consultant to Primerica
“The index measures the purchasing power of middle-income families with household incomes from $30,000 to $130,000 and is developed using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Bureau of Census, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.”
PRIMERICA HOUSEHOLD BUDGET INDEX™ (HBI™): Middle-Income Americans See Modest Improvement in Purchasing Power in August
The latest Primerica Household Budget Index™ (HBI™) data, a monthly economic metric that examines how inflation and wage trends impact the ability of middle-income families to afford life’s everyday necessities, is estimated at 100.6% in August, an increase of 0.1% from July and up 0.4% from a year ago. Average earned income rose 0.3% month-over-month and increased 3.3% year-over-year.
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