Household Budget Survey
The Authority notes with satisfaction the launch of the Household Budget Survey (HBS) during a conference held at the Old University Campus in Valletta on the 10th of October 2024.
The collection of information from households shall commence towards the end of this year and shall continue for twelve calendar months. The National Statistics Office (NSO) is forecasting participation of 7,000 households in the Household Budget Survey, with the objective of achieving a representative statistical representation of all social strata. Like past editions, household participants, shall be furnishing the NSO with data through two forms, a general information questionnaire and a spending diary. In the latter, households shall be entering their expenses covering a fifteen-day period together with any major expense that has recently occurred.
The main purpose of the HBS remains as the primary means to update the ‘basket of goods and services’ from which weights are derived and used in the monthly inflation estimates. The HBS also has secondary uses, particularly to estimate the degree of social inequality. To this end the HBS data is sought by may social researchers.
The Authority notes the sterling work performed by NSO staff over the past months in preparation for the HBS launch as well as its meticulous planning process covering the months ahead.
The Authority appeals for household to cooperate once again with NSO officials during the data collection exercise. The information collated has an intrinsic statistical operational value but also underlines important social and policy decisions.
