CR Survey
CR Survey
A Unique, 80-Year-Plus Legacy of Surveying American Consumers
Consumer Reports fielded its first survey in 1940—a nine-question print survey of members. Since then, this member survey has grown into a large multi-section quarterly omnibus that produces the data behind many of Consumer Reports’ product and service ratings. In the early aughts we began conducting nationally representative surveys of the U.S. adult population on topics as broad as amusement parks and computer technical support. Today, we field numerous nationally representative surveys annually on topics important to the safety and security of today’s consumer, such as student debt, auto emissions, and data privacy.
Our Team
Meet the dedicated experts who work on CR’s national survey team. For more information please reach out to us.
More Ways We Help Inform the Marketplace
To support our robust national survey program, in January 2020 we kicked off a monthly nationally representative omnibus survey, the American Experiences Survey (AES)—fielded using the AmeriSpeak® Panel through NORC.
All nationally representative CR surveys are fielded in both English and Spanish and include oversamples for English-speaking Asians. Consumer Reports is a proud member of The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. Our team adheres to the AAPOR’s Code of Ethics and all members are active participants in the professional survey research community.
Safety
Improving product safety has always been at the core of CR’s mission. Below are examples of how our surveys help drive that effort by measuring consumer awareness of and exposure to potentially faulty or unsafe products and services.
January 2024 AES: Pesticides and Organic Foods Toplines
September 2023 AES: Product Safety Toplines
August 2023 AES: Plasticizers in Food Packaging Toplines
July 2023 AES: Child Car Seat Installation Toplines
April 2023 AES: Pet Food Safety Toplines
January 2023 AES: Pedestrian Safety Toplines
September 2022 AES: Speed Limiters, Food Safety Toplines
July 2022 AES: Indoor Air Pollution Toplines
Supplements 2022 Toplines
Gas Kitchen Appliances 2022 Toplines
April 2022 AES: Rear Vehicle Seats Toplines
February 2022 AES: Food Irradiation Toplines
January 2022 AES: Food Toplines
Wall Anchors 2021 Toplines
Fire Safety 2021 Toplines
Product Safety 2021 Toplines
Home Safety 2021 Toplines
September 2021 AES: Infant Sleep Toplines
August 2021 AES: Distracted Driving Toplines
May 2021 AES: Safety Toplines
April 2021 AES: Recalls Toplines
March 2021 AES: Generators Toplines
Financial Fairness
A fair marketplace is one in which all consumers have access to the resources and services they need to build a financially safe, secure and stable life. Our survey work has been instrumental in identifying where things like hidden fees, student debt, and inaccurate credit reports are hurting consumers.
January 2024 AES: Prescription Drug Costs Toplines
December 2023 AES: Open Banking Toplines
Banking Apps 2023 Toplines
Banking Apps 2023 Report
Buy Now Pay Later 2023 Toplines
November 2023 AES: Inflation Toplines
October 2023 AES: Credit Reports Toplines
September 2023 AES: Credit Card Late Fees, Medical Bills Toplines
February 2023 AES: Banking Apps Toplines
January 2023 AES: Airline Baggage Fees Toplines
December 2022 AES: Banking Satisfaction Toplines
October 2022 AES: Peer-to-Peer Payment Service Transparency, Access to Coupons Toplines
September 2022 AES: Financial Safety in Peer-to-Peer Payment Services Toplines
July 2022 AES: Inflation Toplines
Supplements 2022 Toplines
Gas Kitchen Appliances 2022 Toplines
April 2022 AES: Rear Vehicle Seats Toplines
February 2022 AES: Food Irradiation Toplines
January 2022 AES: Food Toplines
Wall Anchors 2021 Toplines
Fire Safety 2021 Toplines
Product Safety 2021 Toplines
Home Safety 2021 Toplines
September 2021 AES: Infant Sleep Toplines
August 2021 AES: Distracted Driving Toplines
May 2021 AES: Safety Toplines
April 2021 AES: Recalls Toplines
March 2021 AES: Generators Toplines
Sustainability
Americans today, particularly younger adults, recognize the real threat of climate change and there is growing awareness of how low-income families and communities of color are disproportionately affected by extreme weather events, exposure to air pollutants, and a lack of cost-effective sustainable choices. CR’s surveys have helped document these disparities and shifting attitudes among the American public.
January 2024 AES: Home Efficiency, Sustainability Claims Toplines
Battery Electric Vehicles and Low-Carbon Fuels 2023 Toplines
September 2023 AES: Autos Sustainability Toplines
June 2023 AES: Sustainability in Purchasing Decisions, Regenerative Agriculture Toplines
February 2023 AES: Water Usage, Amazon Delivery Toplines
January 2023 AES: Home Sustainability Toplines
November 2022 AES: Green Home/Utilities Toplines
October 2022 AES: Laundry and Dishwashing Detergents Toplines
Battery Electric Vehicles and Low Carbon Fuels 2022 Toplines
Fuel Economy 2022 National Toplines
Fuel Economy 2022 California Toplines
Fuel Economy 2022 New York Toplines
Fuel Economy 2022 Report
Battery Electric Vehicle Owners 2022 Toplines
Battery Electric Vehicles and Low-Carbon Fuels 2022 Toplines
Battery Electric Vehicles and Low-Carbon Fuels 2022 Report
Home Sustainability 2022 Toplines
January 2022 AES: Home Sustainability Toplines
August 2021 AES: Plant-based meats, Climate Toplines
May 2021 AES: Recycling Toplines
April 2021 AES: Mattress Recycling Toplines
February 2021 AES: Lawn Care Toplines
Digital Rights
Most consumers want more control over how their data is collected and shared, are concerned about the growing power of large tech companies, and worry about how unseen algorithms are shaping their choices, yet they often feel powerless to address these marketplace practices. CR surveys show the stark disconnect between consumer expectations around digital rights and the myriad ways the current marketplace fails to meet them.
Buy Now Pay Later 2023 Toplines
August and November 2023 AESes: Chatbots Sections Joint Report
October 2023 AES: Broadband Internet Toplines
July 2023 AES: Internet of Things Labels Toplines
May 2023 AES: Cybersecurity Toplines
October 2022 AES: Smart Appliance Privacy, Peer-to-Peer Payment Service Transparency Toplines
September 2022 AES: Financial Safety in Peer-to-Peer Payment Services Toplines
Cryptocurrency 2022 Toplines
June 2022 AES: Cybersecurity Toplines
May 2022 AES: Broadband Toplines
April 2022 AES: Cookies Toplines
February 2022 AES: Digital Banking Toplines
January 2022 AES: Buy Now Pay Later Toplines
November 2021 AES: Mobile Antivirus Toplines
September 2021 AES: AI section Toplines
February 2021 AES: Broadband section Toplines
January 2021 AES: Video Doorbells Toplines
Broadband 2021 Toplines
Broadband 2021 Report
Social Media 2021 Toplines
Reliance on the Internet Fact Sheet
White Papers
CR often publishes white papers and other studies of consumer issues. They highlight the challenges facing consumers today and propose solutions for the marketplace, drawing from CR survey data and other sources of information. Here are some that feature nationally representative survey data:
Buy Now, Pay Later: Policy Measures to Mitigate Consumer Risks from Evolving Business Practices (2023)
Buy Now, Pay Later: A Case Study for a Digital Financial Standard (2023)
Low-Carbon Fuel Standards and an Equitable Transition to Clean Transportation (2023)
A Blind Spot in Safety: A analysis of blind spot warning in popular heavy vehicles in the U.S. (2023)
Excess Demand: The Looming EV Shortage (2023)
Peer-to-Peer Payment Apps: A Case Study for a Digital Finance Standard (2022)
Buy Now, Pay Later: Consumer Protections Needed for the Popular New Way to Pay (2022)
Broadband Pricing: What Consumer Reports Learned from 22,000 Internet Bills (2022)
A Broken System: How the Credit Reporting System Fails Consumers and What to Do About It (2021)
CR Articles
Our survey work often drives CR content. Some examples below:
How to Avoid Credit Card Late Fees
As Pedestrian Fatalities Continue to Rise, Americans Want Lifesaving Technology
Buy Now, Pay Later Apps are Popular, But Are They Safe?
How Worried Should You Be About Mercury in Your Tuna?
Why People of Color are Less Likely to Have a Will
People Want to Get Phones and Appliances Fixed—But Often, They Can’t
American Experiences Survey (AES)
The monthly omnibus American Experiences Surveys each have multiple topics, not all of which fall neatly into the categories above. The full results of each survey can be found here.
March 2021: Generators only, COVID only
General
In addition to these core areas, CR surveys track and measure other major, emerging trends and behavioral shifts in the consumer space.
Large Appliance Shopping 2023 Toplines
December 2023 AES: Food Labels, Tipping Toplines
November 2023 AES: Commute, Health-Related Uses of Apps and Chatbots Toplines
October 2023 AES: Food Seal Icons Toplines
August 2023 AES: Chatbot Use Toplines
July 2023 AES: Paywalls Toplines
April 2023 AES: Hidden Fees, Plant-Based Milk Toplines
Car Buying 2022 Toplines
Pets 2022 Toplines
August 2022 AES: Video Streaming Services, Long-Term Care Insurance, and Consumer Opinions Toplines
July 2022 AES: CBD, Summer Travel, and Polling Place Toplines
June 2022 AES: How To Save Toplines
May 2022 AES: Online Marketplaces Toplines
April 2022 AES: Organic Food Toplines
March 2022 AES: Brainpower Toplines
February 2022 AES: Home Maintenance Toplines
Right to Repair 2021 Toplines
November 2021 AES: Fraud & Scams Toplines
October 2021 AES Toplines
February 2021 AES Consumer Trends, COVID, Broadband, Lawn Care, Returns Toplines