Sweden

Title: The family Expenditure Survey 2001

GENERAL INFORMATION AND BASIC DEFINITIONS

1. Background

Further information is available from Statistics Sweden of 701 89 Örebro, phone: 00 46 19 17 66 73, fax: 00 46 19 17 70 87, e-mail: katarina.hansson@scb.se.
Data have been collected by household survey since 1958. ¹

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: no geographic areas are excluded .

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

• one person private households
• diplomatic households in the country

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

• private households with more than one person
• those in collective housing (such as long term hospitals, prisons, monasteries, military quarters)
• non-resident households of nationals (households of nationals located abroad)

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 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:

• main income earner

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 annually. The statistics are published annually.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

4. Sample design

The Primary, Secondary and Ultimate Sampling Units are none, none and simple random sample of individuals respectively.

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

• geographical regions
• rural/urban
• administrative districts

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

• income class
• social class of the head
• age group of the head

The sampling frames for the Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) and Ultimate Sampling Unit (USU) were register of total population and none respectively. The sample size was 3000 households or other units. The overall response rate for the survey was 50 percent. Errors/biases were minimized by using calibration.

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.

Simple random sample of individuals 0-74 (networksample) Data are collected by: 1-Registers(income) 2-Interview (family type, livin g conditions, occupying/employment) 3-Questionary (about goods and services the last 12 month) 4-Diary (14days).

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 excludes receipts resulting from the sale or reduction of assets and/or from incurring liabilities. Exceptions are only capital gain. Income excludes receipts that are not currently available to the unit.

The following receipts are collected separately:³

• wages and salaries
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• employee social security contributions
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house)
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• unemployment benefits
• family-related allowances
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• other social assistance benefits
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support

The following receipts are collected but not separately:³

• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• termination and redundancy payments
• royalties
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• retirement pensions from compulsory social security schemes
• old age benefits
• other pensions
• other social insurance benefits

The following receipts are not collected:³

• employer 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
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• goods produced for own consumption
• services produced for own consumption
• 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
• subsidized government dwelling
• food subsidies
• medical reimbursements
• 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
• 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 social security contributions

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:

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

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
• family-related allowances
• sickness benefits
• survivors benefits
• other social insurance benefits

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

• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• other social assistance benefits
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support

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

• interest received
• dividends
• royalties

The following receipts are collected using the last 12 months 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
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• 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
• family-related allowances
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• other social insurance benefits
• other social assistance benefits
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support

Income data were collected separately for each person receiving income. Components of income for an individual were collected administrative registers . Negative values (business losses) were included 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 used to collect expenditure data with the respondent completing the interview ² by a mix of recall and using documentation.

Data for the following expenditure items are collected by referring:

• to expenditures in last 3 months:
  • clothing, footwear

• to expenditures in last 12 months:
  • housing
  • other durable goods
  • households services
  • other items: interest, repairs

Data for the following expenditure items are not collected:

• food
• other household non-durable goods
• other personal non-durable goods
• personal services

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

• 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
• 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 transport expenditures , gross of refunds
• housing maintenance, minor repairs
• regular cash payments to others outside the household
• non-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
• valuables : capital goods(value over 500 SEK)

The following types of expenditure items are classified as 'Non-consumption household expenditure':

• compulsory transfers to governments (e.g. contributions to government old age and disability insurance program, taxes)

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

• purchase price of owner-occupied housing
• mortgage repayments, including interest
• 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
• life insurance premiums
• out of pocket education expenditures
• investment-related expenditures (e.g. purchase of shares/stocks)
• occupational expenditures
• other business-related expenditures

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

• 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
• 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 transport expenditures , gross of refunds
• housing maintenance, minor repairs
• regular cash payments to others outside the household
• non-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
• valuables : capital goods(value over 500 SEK)
• compulsory transfers to governments (e.g. contributions to government old age and disability insurance program, taxes)

Classification: COICOP is used for classifying expenditure and has an unspecified number of 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
• housing characteristics

Households are requested to indicate whether durable goods are new or second-hand when their acquisition is recorded.²

Non-response: There is no substitution for non-response, whether by non-contact or by refusal.

Reporting errors are reduced using the following measures:

• careful instrument design
• quality control

DATA PROCESSING, ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

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

The responses are edited by the following:

• interviewers, data collectors
• office staff
• sample units (households)

Extreme values are amended. In-kind receipts and consumption of own production are included in the estimates. In-kind receipts are valued using: tax assessment

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: Some households/units are excluded from analysis because of incomplete response.⁴ Missing values are imputed only on some occasions sometimes housing cost. Supplementary sources are used to adjust estimates for under- or over-reporting. No groups are excluded from data analysis.

Weighting:
Weighting factors are used to adjust for:

• sampling
• non-response

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

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

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

• age of reference person or head of household
• sex of reference person or head of household
• occupation of reference person or head of household
• other characteristic of reference person or head of household
• income percentiles
• structure of household

Documentation and Dissemination:
Published survey reports: utgiftsbarometern 2001, 2002
Published methodological information: utgiftsbarometern 2001, 2002

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.