Average propensity to consume

In economics, the average propensity to consume (APC) is the fraction of income spent. It is computed by dividing consumption by income, or $APC=\frac{C}{Y}$.

Sometimes, disposable income is used as the denominator instead, so $APC=\frac{C}{Y-T}$, where C is the amount spent, Y is pre-tax income, and T is taxes.

One minus the APC is the average propensity to save (APS).

The average propensity to consume differs from the marginal propensity to consume (MPC), which is the fraction of incremental (marginal) income that is spent.

See also

• Marginal propensity to save