Bulgaria

Title: Household budget survey 2001

GENERAL INFORMATION AND BASIC DEFINITIONS

1. Background

Further information is available from National statistical institute of 2 volov str, Sofia 1504, Bulgaria, phone: 3592 9857689, e-mail: bbogdanov@nsi.bg.
Data have been collected by household survey since 1951.

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 without any specific geographic areas excluded.

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

• one person private households
• private households with more than one person
• 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 a single dwelling or compound
  • sharing meals
  • sharing a common budget for (at least) food and housing expenditures

Unit members: ¹ Usual residents temporarily living away from the dwelling are included, if away continuously for less than 6 months. Visitors (not usual residents) temporarily living in the dwelling are not included as unit members. Domestic staff living in same dwelling/compound are not 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

3. Reference periods

The time period to which income and/or expenditure statistics refer when released/published is from 01/01 to 12/01. These data are collected in the period from 01/01 to 12/01. This survey is conducted continuously. The statistics are published annually.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

4. Sample design

The Primary, Secondary and Ultimate Sampling Units are enumeration area/district, household and household respectively.

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

• rural/urban
• administrative districts

The sampling frames for the Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) and Ultimate Sampling Unit (USU) were the list of Census enumeration areas and liste of household for selected enumeration areas respectively. Primary Sampling Units (PSU) were selected using probability proportional to size. The sample size was 6000 households or other units. The overall response rate for the survey was 61.1 percent. Errors/biases were minimized by using an updated sampling frame.

Enumeration procedure: Enumeration uses neither a single round survey design nor a panel design. No action is taken to select a smaller set of reporting units for more detailed questioning.

Each household is survey during 12 month. The interviewer visits the households at last two times a month..

DATA COLLECTION, CONCEPTS, DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

5. Income data

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

The following receipts are collected separately:

• wages and salaries
• termination and redundancy payments
• interest received
• dividends
• retirement pensions from compulsory social security schemes
• unemployment benefits
• family-related allowances
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support

The following receipts are collected but not separately:

• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• 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
• 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)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• goods produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• services produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house) , gross of expenses
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• old age benefits
• other pensions
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• 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: 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

The following receipts are not collected:

• employer social security contributions
• goods produced for barter , gross of inputs
• services produced for barter , gross of inputs
• services from owner-occupied dwellings
• services from other consumer durables (net)
• free government dwelling
• 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
• social transfers in kind: others

The following receipts are classified as income from paid employment:

• wages and salaries

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

• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise

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

• retirement pensions from compulsory social security schemes
• unemployment benefits
• sickness benefits

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

• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• old age benefits
• other pensions
• family-related allowances
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• survivors benefits

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

• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• termination and redundancy payments
• 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
• 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

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

• goods produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• services produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house) , gross of expenses
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties
• housing allowances
• 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

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

• wages and salaries
• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• termination and redundancy payments
• 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
• 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)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• goods produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• services produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house) , gross of expenses
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• retirement pensions from compulsory social security schemes
• old age benefits
• other pensions
• unemployment benefits
• family-related allowances
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• 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

Income data were collected as an aggregate for the whole unit. Negative values (business losses) were excluded when computing self-employment income.

6. Expenditure data

Data collection method:
Diaries are used to collect expenditure data and are maintained for two weeks.

Diaries are used to collect expenditure on the following items:

• food
• alcohol, tobacco
• other household non-durables (such as newspapers, batteries)
• clothing, footwear
• other personal non-durables (such as perfumes)
• household services (such as plumber)
• personal services (such as driving lessons, haircuts)

Interviews are not used to collect expenditure data.

Classification: A national classification is used for classifying expenditure and has 415 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

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

Non-response: Non-response households (refusals and non-contacts) are substituted.

Non-response is reduced using the following measures:

• more than one repeat visits
• monetary rewards

Reporting errors are reduced using the following measures:

• careful instrument design
• quality control

DATA PROCESSING, ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

Answers are not pre-coded on data collection forms, but are coded by the interviewers (data collectors).

Extreme values are retained without change. In-kind receipts and consumption of own production are included in the estimates. In-kind receipts are valued using: the imputed in office processing using market prices. Consumption of own production is valued using: the imputed in office processing using market prices.

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 by no missing values. Supplementary sources are not used to adjust estimates for under- or over-reporting. No groups are excluded from data analysis.

Weighting:
No weighting factors are used for sampling, non-response or benchmarking.

Sampling errors: Sampling errors are computed for major aggregates and these sampling errors are published.

Tabulation and Analysis:

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

• occupation of reference person or head of household
• income percentiles
• absolute income groups
• household size
• other characteristic of household
• other classification, number of children, number of employed, presence of pensioners

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

• occupation of reference person or head of household
• income percentiles
• absolute income groups
• household size
• other characteristic of household
• other classification, number of children, number of employed, presence of pensioners

Documentation and Dissemination:
Published survey reports: Household Budget in Bulgaria, August 2001
Published methodological information: Methodology in Household Budget Survey, www.nsi.bg (in Bulgarian)

Additional statistics (or special tables on request) are available for public use, with charges. Separate tables are published for households with wages/salaries as main source of income. Files of unidentifiable unit data are available (or available on request) for public use, with charges.

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(1) Usual residents temporarily living away from the dwelling are also included, if away intermittently for less than 50% for the last 12 months.