Myanmar

Title: Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 1997

GENERAL INFORMATION AND BASIC DEFINITIONS

1. Background

Further information is available from Central Statistical Organisation of Six-storeyed Building, Cannar Road Yangon, Myanmar, phone: 95 1 371298, fax: 95 1 250351.
Data have been collected by household survey since 1958.

2. Purpose and coverage

The following purposes are considered to be very important or of some importance:

• to obtain weights for consumer price index
• to estimate household expenditure for national accounts
• to study the general structure of household incomes/expenditures
• to study income/expenditure patterns of disadvantaged groups, including pensioner households, single parent households, etc
• to study income/expenditure disparities among socio-economic groups
• to study consumer behaviour among socio-economic groups
• for general poverty and/or income distribution studies
• to study effects on income and expenditure of policy changes, especially tax changes

Lesser importance is attached to:

• for market research purposes

Geographic coverage: National with the following geographic areas excluded: remote or inaccessible areas .

Population coverage:
The following types of household are included in the data collection:

• one person private households
• armed forces residing in private housing outside military base

The following types of household are excluded in the data collection:

• those in collective housing (such as long term hospitals, prisons, monasteries, military quarters)
• non-resident households of nationals (households of nationals located abroad)
• diplomatic households in the country
• households of other foreigners in the country
• armed forces residing in private housing within military base

Units: Dwelling units are not used in the sample selection.

Data are recorded for the household unit which is characterised by:

• one person units
• two or more people living together:
  • sharing meals

Unit members: Usual residents temporarily living away from the dwelling are included, if away continuously for less than 3 months. Visitors (not usual residents) temporarily living in the dwelling are not included as unit members. Domestic staff living in same dwelling/compound are included in the unit. Renters living in same dwelling/compound are not included in the unit. Boarders living in same dwelling/compound are not included in the unit.

Head of unit:
The concept of head of household/other unit is used in this survey and is characterised by:

• acknowledged as such by other household/unit members
• oldest person

3. Reference periods

The time period to which income and/or expenditure statistics refer when released/published is from 11/97 to 11/97. These data are collected in the period from 11/97 to 11/97. This survey is conducted 5-yearly. The statistics are published 5-yearly.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

4. Sample design

The Primary, Secondary and Ultimate Sampling Units are township, ward/village tract and household respectively.

Stratification:
Areas/districts were stratified using the following criteria:

• rural/urban
• administrative regions

Other units were stratified using the following criteria: urban and rural area. The sampling frames for the Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) and Ultimate Sampling Unit (USU) were list of administrative Townships and a set of administrative registers (or combination of such registers) respectively. The sample size was 25470 households or other units. Errors/biases were minimized by using an increased sample size.

Enumeration procedure: Enumeration uses a single round survey design in which each reporting unit is enumerated only once. The sample is not divided into representative sub-samples. No action is taken to select a smaller set of reporting units for more detailed questioning.

DATA COLLECTION, CONCEPTS, DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

5. Income data

Income data are collected. Receipts have to be regular and recurring to be considered as income. Income excludes receipts resulting from the sale or reduction of assets and/or from incurring liabilities. Exceptions are net income. Income excludes receipts that are not currently available to the unit.

The following receipts are collected separately:

• wages and salaries
• cash bonuses and gratuities
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: goods or services produced by employer
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: other goods or services
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• goods produced for own consumption , net of inputs
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house)
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• other pensions

The following receipts are collected but not separately:

• commissions and tips

The following receipts are not collected:

• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay , excluded for other reasons
• termination and redundancy payments , excluded for other reasons
• employer social security contributions , excluded for other reasons
• employee social security contributions , excluded for other reasons
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: housing , excluded for other reasons
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: meals , excluded for other reasons
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: car/transportation , excluded for other reasons
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises , excluded for other reasons
• services produced for own consumption , net of inputs, excluded for other reasons
• goods produced for barter , net of inputs , excluded for other reasons
• services produced for barter , net of inputs, excluded for other reasons
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise , excluded for other reasons
• services from owner-occupied dwellings , excluded for other reasons
• services from other consumer durables (net) , excluded for other reasons
• royalties
• retirement pensions from compulsory social security schemes , excluded for other reasons
• old age benefits , excluded for other reasons
• unemployment benefits , excluded for other reasons
• family-related allowances , excluded for other reasons
• sickness benefits , excluded for other reasons
• invalidity benefits , excluded for other reasons
• education-related allowances , excluded for other reasons
• housing allowances , excluded for other reasons
• survivors benefits , excluded for other reasons
• free government dwelling , excluded for other reasons
• subsidized government dwelling , excluded for other reasons
• food subsidies , excluded for other reasons
• medical reimbursements , excluded for other reasons
• other social insurance benefits , excluded for other reasons
• other social assistance benefits , excluded for other reasons
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: cash, e.g. scholarships , excluded for other reasons
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: goods and services , excluded for other reasons
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: free dwelling , excluded for other reasons
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: subsidized dwelling , excluded for other reasons
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support , excluded for other reasons
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular inheritances or trusts , excluded for other reasons
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular cash gifts , excluded for other reasons
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular in-kind gifts , excluded for other reasons
• regular inter-household transfers received from: free dwelling , excluded for other reasons
• regular inter-household transfers received from: subsidized dwelling , excluded for other reasons
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular free services , excluded for other reasons
• social transfers in kind: medical services , excluded for other reasons
• social transfers in kind: public education , excluded for other reasons
• social transfers in kind: transport subsidies , excluded for other reasons
• social transfers in kind: cultural and recreational services , excluded for other reasons

The following receipts are classified as income from paid employment:

• wages and salaries
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: goods or services produced by employer
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: other goods or services
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute

The following receipts are classified as income from self-employment:

• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)

The following receipts are classified as property income:

• goods produced for own consumption , net of inputs

The following receipts are classified as other employment-related income:

• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips

The following receipts are classified as other income but not employment-related:

• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house)
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties
• other pensions

The following receipts are excluded for other reasons:

• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• termination and redundancy payments
• employer social security contributions
• employee social security contributions
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: housing
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: meals
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: car/transportation
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• services produced for own consumption , net of inputs)
• goods produced for barter , net of inputs)
• services produced for barter , net of inputs
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise
• services from owner-occupied dwellings
• services from other consumer durables (net)
• retirement pensions from compulsory social security schemes
• old age benefits
• unemployment benefits
• family-related allowances
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• free government dwelling
• subsidized government dwelling
• food subsidies
• medical reimbursements
• other social insurance benefits
• other social assistance benefits
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: cash, e.g. scholarships
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: goods and services
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: free dwelling
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: subsidized dwelling
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular inheritances or trusts
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular cash gifts
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular in-kind gifts
• regular inter-household transfers received from: free dwelling
• regular inter-household transfers received from: subsidized dwelling
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular free services
• social transfers in kind: medical services
• social transfers in kind: public education
• social transfers in kind: transport subsidies
• social transfers in kind: cultural and recreational services

The following receipts are collected using the last month as the reference period:

• wages and salaries
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: goods or services produced by employer
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: other goods or services
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• other pensions

The following receipts are collected using the last 12 months as the reference period:

• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• goods produced for own consumption , net of inputs
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house)
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties

Income data were collected separately for each person receiving income. Components of income for an individual were collected collected from responsible persons . Negative values (business losses) were excluded when computing self-employment income.

6. Expenditure data

Data collection method:

Diaries are not used to collect expenditure data.

Interviews are used to collect expenditure data with the respondent completing the interview using documentation only.

Data for the following expenditure items are collected by referring:

• to expenditures last week:
  • food

• to expenditures in last one month:
  • other items : some food items and travelling

• to expenditures in last 12 months:
  • other household non-durable goods
  • clothing, footwear
  • other personal non-durable goods
  • housing
  • other durable goods
  • households services
  • personal services

The following types of expenditure items are classified as 'Actual Household consumption':

• non-durable goods purchased
• durable goods purchased (except housing)
• income in-kind receipts of goods
• income in-kind receipts of services
• own produced non-durable goods
• own-produced durable goods
• own-produced services
• services from durables owned (except housing)
• in-kind goods received from other households
• social transfers in-kind of goods and services from government and non-profit institutions serving households
• licences and fees (e.g. driver's licence, hunting licence, vehicle registration)
• housing maintenance, minor repairs
• regular cash payments to others outside the household
• non-regular cash payments to others outside the household
• valuables : gold jewellery
• occupational expenditures

The following types of expenditure items are excluded for other reasons:

• purchase price of owner-occupied housing
• mortgage repayments, including interest
• services of owner-occupied housing
• major repairs, conversions and extensions to owner-occupied housing
• in-kind services received from other households
• interest payments (excluding mortgage interest payments)
• financial services (including fees for financial advice, brokerage fees)
• non-life insurance premiums (e.g. vehicle, housing, other property, medical)
• life insurance premiums
• gambling expenditure
• out of pocket health expenditure
• out of pocket education expenditures
• out of pocket transport expenditures
• second hand goods purchased
• expenditure abroad
• compulsory transfers to governments (e.g. contributions to government old age and disability insurance program, taxes)
• investment-related expenditures (e.g. purchase of shares/stocks)
• other business-related expenditures

The following types of expenditure items are collected on a 'use' basis:

• non-durable goods purchased
• durable goods purchased (except housing)
• licences and fees (e.g. driver's licence, hunting licence, vehicle registration)
• housing maintenance, minor repairs
• regular cash payments to others outside the household
• non-regular cash payments to others outside the household
• valuables : gold jewellery
• occupational expenditures

Classification: A national classification that is not consistent with COICOP is used for classifying expenditure and has 33 separate categories at the finest level.

7. Other Data Collection Issues

The following other topics are covered:

• demographic characteristics
• education attainment of members
• employment status of members
• occupation of members
• ownership of selected durable goods
• housing characteristics

Households are not requested to indicate whether durable goods are new or second-hand when their acquisition is recorded.

Non-response: Non-contacted households are substituted, but not refusal households.

DATA PROCESSING, ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

Answers are pre-coded on data collection forms to the extent possible.

The responses are edited by the following:

• field supervisors
• office staff

Extreme values are amended. In-kind receipts and consumption of own production are included in the estimates. In-kind receipts are valued using: the respondent's estimate. Consumption of own production is valued using: the respondent's estimate.

Treatment of owner-occupied housing: Values of owner-occupied housing are not included in the total income/expenditure estimates.

Treatment of selected groups/values in analysis: No households/units are excluded from analysis because of incomplete response. Missing values are imputed only on some occasions based on similar household. Supplementary sources are not used to adjust estimates for under- or over-reporting. Etnic groups are excluded from data analysis.

Weighting:
Weighting factors are used to adjust for:

• sampling

Sampling errors: Sampling errors are computed for Total Income/Expenditure aggregates only and these sampling errors are published.

Tabulation and Analysis: Statistics are presented showing averages per month and statistics are analysed and tabulated for households only.

The following classifications are used for tabulation and analysis of income statistics:

• principal source of household income

The following classifications are used for tabulation and analysis of expenditure statistics:

• expenditure percentiles
• household size

Documentation and Dissemination:
Published survey reports: household income and expenditure survey, 1997, 1999

Additional statistics (or special tables on request) are available for public use, free of charge. Additional statistics (or special tables on request) are not available for public use. Separate tables are published for households with wages/salaries as main source of income. Files of unidentifiable unit data are not available (or available on request) for public use.