The Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES) provides statistics on capital spending for new and used structures and equipment (includes capitalized software) by U.S. nonfarm businesses with and without paid employees.

Data collection begins about 3 months after the end of the reference year and continues for 9 months; businesses report data for the prior calendar year. 

The Census Bureau collects comprehensive and timely information about the nature and level of capital expenditures in the U.S. through ACES and your response provides public and private decision makers with an important indicator of future economic activity and growth. Capital expenditures data also are important components of U.S. productivity, competitiveness, and economic performance.

To see the latest capital expenditures statistics, click Data on the left side of this page.

Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), Sections 131 and 182, authorizes this collection. Sections 224 and 225 require businesses to respond.

Title 13, United States Code, Section 9, requires the Census Bureau to keep information CONFIDENTIAL and can use responses only to produce statistics. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release responses in a way that could identify a business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit the data.