Gibraltar

Title: Family Expenditure Survey 95/96

GENERAL INFORMATION AND BASIC DEFINITIONS

1. Background

Further information is available from Statistics Office of 99 Harbours Walk, New Harbour, Gibraltar, phone: 00 350 75 515, fax: 00 350 51 160, e-mail: gibstats@gibnynex.gi.
Data have been collected by household survey since 1973.

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
• for market research purposes

Lesser importance is attached to:

• 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

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

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
• armed forces residing in private housing outside 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
  • sharing a common budget for (at least) food and housing expenditures

Unit members: Usual residents are always included as unit members. 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 included in the unit. Boarders living in same dwelling/compound are included in the unit.

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

• recognized owner, or responsible for tenancy of dwelling

3. Reference periods

The time period to which income and/or expenditure statistics refer when released/published is from 07/95 to 06/96. These data are collected in the period from 07/95 to 06/96. This survey is conducted continuously. The statistics are published irregularly/occasionally.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

4. Sample design

The Primary, Secondary and Ultimate Sampling Units are enumeration area/district, none and household respectively.

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

• geographical regions

Households/Consumption Unit, Income Unit, Family Unit were stratified using the following criteria:

• income class
• age group of the head

The sampling frames for the Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) and Ultimate Sampling Unit (USU) were the list of Census enumeration areas as well as a register of addresses and the master sample of households respectively. The sample size was 240 households or other units. Errors/biases were minimized by using standard error.

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.

Due to Gibraltar being very small there were no sub-samples needed to be selected. The number of households selected at random was 240 from a total number of households of around 9700.This represents around 2.5% of the total number of households samp le.

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. Exceptions are self employed. 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 but not separately:

• wages and salaries
• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• termination and redundancy payments
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: other goods or services
• 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)
• 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
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• subsidized government dwelling
• other social insurance benefits
• other social assistance benefits
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: cash, e.g. scholarships
• 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: subsidized dwelling

The following receipts are not collected:

• employer social security contributions
• employee social security contributions
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• goods produced for barter
• services produced for barter
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise
• services from owner-occupied dwellings
• services from other consumer durables (net)
• free government dwelling
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular in-kind gifts
• regular inter-household transfers received from: free 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
• social transfers in kind: others

The following receipts are classified as income from paid employment:

• wages and salaries
• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• termination and redundancy payments
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: other goods or services
• interest received

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

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

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

• 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
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• other social insurance benefits

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

• other social assistance benefits

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

• subsidized government dwelling

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

• education-related allowances
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: cash, e.g. scholarships
• 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: subsidized dwelling

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

• goods produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• services produced for own consumption , gross of inputs
• retirement pensions from compulsory social security schemes
• unemployment benefits
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• other social insurance benefits
• other social assistance benefits

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

• wages and salaries
• commissions and tips
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: other goods or services
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• old age benefits
• other pensions
• survivors benefits
• subsidized government dwelling

The following receipts are collected using the last 3 months as the reference period:

• housing allowances

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

• cash bonuses and gratuities
• termination and redundancy payments
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house)
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties
• education-related allowances
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: cash, e.g. scholarships
• 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: subsidized dwelling

Income data were collected separately for each person receiving income. Components of income for an individual were collected from one person who reported for all individuals. Negative values (business losses) were excluded when computing self-employment income, only taxable income over the previous 12 months have to be declared.

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:

• 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)
• betting, children's pocket money

Interviews are used to collect expenditure data with the respondent completing the interview by a mix of recall and using documentation.

Data for the following expenditure items are collected by referring:

• to expenditures in last one month:
  • housing
  • households services

• to expenditures in last 3 months:
  • other durable goods

Data for the following expenditure items are not collected by interview because they are collected by diary:

• food
• other household non-durable goods
• clothing, footwear
• other personal non-durable goods
• personal services

The following types of expenditure items are classified as 'Household consumption expenditure':¹

• non-durable goods purchased
• durable goods purchased (except housing)
• services of owner-occupied housing
• major repairs, conversions and extensions to owner-occupied housing
• 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) , gross of claims
• life insurance premiums , gross of claims
• licences and fees (e.g. driver's licence, hunting licence, vehicle registration)
• gambling expenditure , gross of winnings
• out of pocket health expenditure , gross of claims
• out of pocket education expenditures , gross of refunds
• out of pocket transport expenditures , gross of refunds
• housing maintenance, minor repairs
• regular cash payments to others outside the household
• purchase of gifts of goods and services given to others outside the household
• second hand goods purchased
• expenditure abroad
• compulsory transfers to governments (e.g. contributions to government old age and disability insurance program, taxes)

The following types of expenditure items are classified as 'Investment/liability expenditure':¹

• mortgage repayments, including interest

The following types of expenditure items are excluded due to measurement problems:¹

• 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
• in-kind services received from other households
• social transfers in-kind of goods and services from government and non-profit institutions serving households
• non-regular cash payments to others outside the household
• investment-related expenditures (e.g. purchase of shares/stocks)
• occupational expenditures
• other business-related expenditures
• others

The following types of expenditure items are collected on an 'acquisitions' basis:

• non-durable goods purchased
• durable goods purchased (except housing)
• second hand goods purchased

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

• mortgage repayments, including interest
• services of owner-occupied housing
• major repairs, conversions and extensions to owner-occupied housing
• 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) , gross of claims
• life insurance premiums , gross of claims
• licences and fees (e.g. driver's licence, hunting licence, vehicle registration)
• gambling expenditure , gross of winnings
• out of pocket health expenditure , gross of claims
• out of pocket education expenditures , gross of refunds
• out of pocket transport expenditures , gross of refunds
• housing maintenance, minor repairs
• regular cash payments to others outside the household
• purchase of gifts of goods and services given to others outside the household
• expenditure abroad
• compulsory transfers to governments (e.g. contributions to government old age and disability insurance program, taxes)

Classification: A national classification that is not consistent with COICOP is used for classifying expenditure and has 250 separate categories at the finest level.

7. Other Data Collection Issues

The following other topics are covered:

• demographic characteristics
• employment status of members
• occupation of members
• housing characteristics
• savings

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.

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 office staff.

Extreme values are amended. Consumption of own production is included in the estimates, but in-kind receipts are not. Consumption of own production is valued using: the respondent's estimate.

Treatment of owner-occupied housing: Values of owner-occupied housing are included in the total income/expenditure estimates and are valued using

Treatment of selected groups/values in analysis: Some households/units are excluded from analysis because of incomplete response. Supplementary sources are not used to adjust estimates for under- or over-reporting. people in institutions are excluded from data analysis.

Weighting:
Weighting factors are used to adjust for:

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

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

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

• age of reference person or head of household
• occupation of reference person or head of household
• absolute income groups
• principal source of household income
• expenditure classes in monetary terms
• other classification

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

• age of reference person or head of household
• occupation of reference person or head of household
• income percentiles, quintiles
• absolute income groups
• principal source of household income
• expenditure classes in monetary terms
• structure of household
• other classification

Documentation and Dissemination:
Published survey reports: government of Gibraltar Family Expenditure Survey 95/96

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.