According to a new Nielsen "Demo Drill Down" report, Latino households overindex by 90 percent their average spending on dried vegetables and grains.

Among the other highlights of the Nielsen study, conducted between July 2007 and June 2008:

• Hispanic households outspent all U.S. households by 88 percent on purchases of ice
• Latino homes overindex by 75 percent when it comes to their purchases of baby food and 72 percent with spending on baby needs
• Hispanic households are 64 percent more likely to spend their money on disposable diapers compared to the overall population. 

Other categories seeing higher spending activity in Hispanic-American households, compared to the total U.S. population, include hair care, family planning, women’s fragrances, grooming aids and juices and drinks.

Rank (by highest index) Top 10 Categories: Hispanic-American Households Dollar Volume Index

1 Vegetables and Grains - Dried 190
2 Ice 188
3 Baby Food 175
4 Baby Needs 172
5 Disposable Diapers 164
6 Hair Care 144
7 Family Planning 143
8 Fragrances - Women 140
9 Grooming Aids 136
10 Juices, Drinks - Shelf Stable 133

Source: The Nielsen Company (June 30, 2007 - June 28, 2008). "Dollar Volume Index" is a demographic segment’s share of dollar sales, divided by a segment’s share of U.S. households, multiplied by 100.