Saint Helena

GENERAL INFORMATION AND BASIC DEFINITIONS

1. Background

Further information is available from Statistics Office Development Economic Planning Department of Jamestown St.Helena Island.SHTL.122, phone: 00 290 2138, fax: 00 290 2830, e-mail: dknipe@sainthelena.gov.sh.
Data have been compiled through administrative registrations since 1980. 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
• 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:

• to study consumer behaviour among socio-economic groups
• 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
• non-resident households of nationals (households of nationals located abroad)

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

• those in collective housing (such as long term hospitals, prisons, monasteries, military quarters)
• 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 used in the sample selection and are characterised by:

• single structure - detached housing unit
• single unit in a structure containing more than one housing unit
• street address

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
  • pooling their income to some extent

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

• two or more people:
  • living in the same household
  • sharing a single dwelling unit or compound
  • related:
    • by blood
    • by marriage
    • by adoption
    • by consensual union
  • sharing meals
  • sharing a common budget for (at least) food and housing expenditures
  • pooling their income to some extent

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

Unit members: Usual residents temporarily living away from 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:

• acknowledged as such by other household/unit members
• recognized owner, or responsible for tenancy of dwelling

3. Reference periods

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

4. Sample design

No sampling was undertaken for this collection.

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. Income excludes receipts that are not currently available to the unit.

The following receipts are collected separately:

• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house) , net of expenses
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• other pensions

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
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: housing
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• interest received
• dividends
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties
• 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 not collected:

• goods produced for own consumption , excluded due to measurement problems
• goods produced for barter , excluded due to measurement problems
• old age benefits , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• unemployment benefits , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• family-related allowances , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• sickness benefits , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• invalidity benefits , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• education-related allowances , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• housing allowances , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• survivors benefits , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• other social assistance benefits , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• social transfers in kind: medical services , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• social transfers in kind: public education , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• social transfers in kind: transport subsidies , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• social transfers in kind: cultural and recreational services , excluded for other reasons: non taxable
• social transfers in kind: others , excluded for other reasons: non taxable

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
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: housing
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• interest received
• dividends
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land)
• royalties
• regular pensions/annuities from schemes to which employee does not contribute
• other pensions
• 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 excluded due to measurement problems:

• goods produced for own consumption
• goods produced for barter

The following receipts are excluded for other reasons:

• old age benefits
• unemployment benefits
• family-related allowances
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• other social assistance benefits
• 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 reference period for:

• wages and salaries was 1999/2000
• cash bonuses and gratuities was 1999/2000
• commissions and tips was 1999/2000
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: housing was 1999/2000
• interest received was 1999/2000
• dividends was 1999/2000
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house) , net of expense was 1999/2000
• rents (payment received for un-produced assets e.g. land) was 1999/2000
• royalties was 1999/2000

Income data were collected separately for each person receiving income. Components of income for an individual were collected directly from the individual. ² Negative values (business losses) were included when computing self-employment income.

6. Expenditure data

Data collection method:

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 by a mix of recall and using documentation.

Data for the following expenditure items are collected by referring:

• to expenditures in last 3 months:
  • food
  • 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 'Household consumption expenditure':

• non-durable goods purchased
• durable goods purchased (except housing)
• own produced non-durable goods
• own-produced durable goods
• own-produced services
• services from durables owned (except housing)
• interest payments (excluding mortgage interest payments)
• non-life insurance premiums (e.g. vehicle, housing, other property, medical)
• life insurance premiums
• licences and fees (e.g. driver's licence, hunting licence, vehicle registration)
• others : society subscriptions

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

• services of owner-occupied housing

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

• income in-kind receipts of goods
• income in-kind receipts of services

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

• mortgage repayments, including interest

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

• purchase price of owner-occupied housing

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

• non-durable goods purchased
• durable goods purchased (except housing)
• services of owner-occupied housing
• own produced non-durable goods
• own-produced durable goods
• own-produced services
• services from durables owned (except housing)

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

• income in-kind receipts of goods
• income in-kind receipts of services

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

• mortgage repayments, including interest
• interest payments (excluding mortgage interest payments)
• non-life insurance premiums (e.g. vehicle, housing, other property, medical)
• life insurance premiums
• licences and fees (e.g. driver's licence, hunting licence, vehicle registration)
• others : society subscriptions

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

Reporting errors are reduced using the following measures:

• careful instrument design
• bounding interview
• adequate cues or props for prompting
• 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:

• field supervisors
• office staff

Extreme values are retained without change. Neither in-kind receipts nor consumption of own production is included in the estimates.

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 retained without change . 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
• bench-marking

Sampling errors: No information was provided on samplimg errors.

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

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

• absolute income groups
• principal source of household income

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
• principal source of household income
• expenditure classes in monetary terms
• household size
• structure of household

Documentation and Dissemination:
Published survey reports: A Report on the 2000 St. Helena Household Expendi-ture, March 2002
Published methodological information: A Report on the 2002 St. Helena Household Expendi-ture, March 2002

Additional statistics (or special tables on request) are available for public use, with charges. Separate tables are published for lower, average and higher groups on expenditure. Files of unidentifiable unit data are available (or available on request) for public use, free of charge.