The chart below plots the price (y-axis) against the quantity (real amount purchased per capita) (x-axis) of the two PCE items selected above (ITEM #1 in blue, ITEM #2 in gray) on each month of the specified date range, with the dates labeled incrementally. The prices and quantities are normalized (expressed relative to) their initial values on the start date and the scales of the axes are logarithmic. Movements in the chart mean the following: up = inflation, right = growth (in real consumption per capita), down = deflation, left = contraction (in real consumption per capita). In general, the harder it is for the quantity of a wanted item to grow (move right) as the economy grows, the more the price will tend to inflate (move up).

For the two selected PCE items, the chart below plots the ratios of their prices (ITEM #1 price divided by ITEM #2 price) against the ratios of their quantities (ITEM #1 real quantity consumed per capita divided by ITEM #2 real quantity consumed per capita) on each month of the specified date range, with the dates labeled incrementally. The ratios are normalized (expressed relative to) their initial values on the start date and the scales of the axes are logarithmic. Movements in the chart mean the following: up = ITEM #1 inflating more than ITEM #2, right = ITEM #1 growing more than ITEM #2, down = ITEM #1 deflating more than ITEM #2, left = ITEM #1 contracting more than ITEM #2.

For the two selected PCE items, the numbers above show the annual rates of change (if ANNUALIZED ∆ is selected) or total change amounts (if TOTAL ∆ is selected) of the following variables over the specified date range: price (PRICE), quantity per capita (QTY pc), nominal spending levels per capita (nSPEND pc) and deflated wage levels per capita (DEFL WAGE pc = wage level per capita divided by the price index for the item). The four mini-charts below show time series for these same variables. In each chart, the values for ITEM #1 and ITEM #2 are depicted in blue and gray, respectively, with each series normalized to a 1.0 value on the start date. Both values are tied to a logarithmic left-sided y-axes. The thin dotted red line shows the ratio of the two values and is paired to the right-sided y-axis, which is linear and numerically unmarked. The shaded gray bars represent recessionary periods.