October 09, 2026
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve Board on Friday officially released the results of the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, providing both the public and policymakers with a comprehensive and detailed look into the economic health and financial well-being of American households.
For release at 10:00 a.m. EDT, the extensive new data release offers a representative picture of what Americans own, how and how much they borrow, and how they manage their banking and financial needs. The Survey of Consumer Finances, commonly referred to as the SCF, has been undertaken every three years since 1989. Over more than three decades, this recurring study has provided the public with an invaluable time series of thorough information tracking the evolving economic conditions of American families across changing macroeconomic landscapes.
Alongside the primary survey data, the Board issued its official summary report entitled Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2022 to 2025. This accompanying publication examines critical shifts in household income, net worth, accumulated assets, outstanding debt, and overall financial vulnerability over the three-year period leading up to the 2025 data collection.
The triennial survey serves as a cornerstone for economic research in the United States, giving economists, researchers, lawmakers, and the general public a rigorous empirical foundation to understand household balance sheets. Because the survey captures comprehensive details regarding family finances, it remains one of the most widely cited resources for assessing the financial resilience of consumers in the face of shifting monetary policies, inflationary pressures, and labor market dynamics.
In addition to the comprehensive summary report released by the Board, an interactive chartbook displaying changes in these financial characteristics over time has been made available to the public online. This visualization tool allows users to explore how various financial indicators have shifted across multiple survey cycles. Furthermore, extensive raw data from the survey, including specialized datasets examining granular economic conditions and demographic breakdowns of American families, has been made accessible to academic researchers, policy analysts, and interested members of the public through the Federal Reserve’s research portal.
The meticulous process behind gathering this nationwide financial snapshot involves a partnership with NORC, a prominent social science research organization at the University of Chicago. Participants in the study are chosen at random from a diverse cross-section of 119 geographic areas. These selected regions span major metropolitan areas as well as rural counties across the United States. To ensure the findings accurately reflect the broader population, NORC utilizes scientific sampling procedures specifically designed to produce a sample that is fully representative of American families from all walks of life, income levels, and geographic settings.
The release of the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances data comes at a time of significant interest in the financial resilience of households. By capturing detailed measures of assets—such as housing equity, retirement accounts, and business investments—alongside liabilities like mortgage debt, credit card balances, and student loans, the survey allows analysts to evaluate the distribution of wealth and debt burdens across different segments of the American population. The historical depth of the survey, stretching back to the late 1980s, enables experts to place current household financial conditions into a long-term context, observing structural shifts in how families save, invest, and utilize credit over generations.
For media inquiries regarding the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, journalists and news organizations can contact the Federal Reserve Board by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (202) 452-2955.
