Austria

Title: Konsumerhebung 1999/2000

GENERAL INFORMATION AND BASIC DEFINITIONS

1. Background

Further information is available from Statistik Austria of Hintere Zollamtsstrabe, A-1035 Wien, phone: (0043)01/71128-7749, fax: (0043)01/7185060, e-mail: johannes.klotz@statistk.gov.at.
Data have been collected by household survey since 1954.

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
• for market research purposes

Lesser importance is attached to:

• 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
• private households with more than one person
• households of other foreigners in the country
• 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
• 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 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 not included in the unit. Boarders living in same dwelling/compound are not included in the unit.

Head of unit: ¹
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 12/98 to 10/00. These data are collected in the period from 11/99 to 10/00. This survey is conducted irregularly/occasionally. The statistics are published irregularly/occasionally.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

4. Sample design

The Primary, Secondary and Ultimate Sampling Units are address, none and household respectively.

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

• geographical regions

The sampling frames for the Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) and Ultimate Sampling Unit (USU) were a register of addresses and the master sample of households respectively. The sample size was 7098 households or other units. The overall response rate for the survey was 25 percent.

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.

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. 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:

• wages and salaries
• 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
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• goods produced for own consumption
• services produced for own consumption
• unemployment benefits
• family-related allowances
• education-related allowances

The following receipts are collected but not separately:

• cash bonuses and gratuities
• commissions and tips
• remuneration for time not worked, e.g. leave pay
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise
• services from owner-occupied dwellings
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house) , net 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
• sickness benefits
• invalidity benefits
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• free government dwelling
• 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: free dwelling
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular cash gifts
• regular inter-household transfers received from: free dwelling

The following receipts are not collected:

• termination and redundancy payments
• employer social security contributions
• employee social security contributions
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: other goods or services
• services produced for barter
• services from other consumer durables (net)
• subsidized government dwelling
• food subsidies
• medical reimbursements
• regular support received from non-profit institutions serving households: goods and services
• 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 in-kind gifts
• regular inter-household transfers received from: subsidized 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
• 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

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

• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• goods produced for own consumption
• services produced for own consumption
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise
• services from owner-occupied dwellings

The following receipts are classified as property income:

• interest received
• dividends
• 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
• other social insurance benefits

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

• family-related allowances
• education-related allowances
• housing allowances
• survivors benefits
• other social assistance benefits

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

• free government dwelling
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular cash gifts
• regular inter-household transfers received from: free dwelling

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

• 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: goods or services produced by employer
• goods produced for own consumption
• services produced for own consumption
• free government dwelling
• regular inter-household transfers received from: free dwelling

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
• employee income in-kind provided free or subsidized: car/transportation
• profit/loss from unincorporated enterprises (mixed income)
• drawing for own use from unincorporated enterprises
• stock consumed from unincorporated enterprise
• services from owner-occupied dwellings
• interest received
• dividends
• rentals (payment received for produced assets e.g. house) , net 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
• other social insurance benefits
• other social assistance benefits
• regular inter-household transfers received from: family, e.g. alimony, child/parental support
• regular inter-household transfers received from: regular cash gifts

Income data were collected separately for each person receiving income. Components of income for an individual were collected directly from the individual. 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 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

• to expenditures in last 12 months:
  • other durable goods
  • households services

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':

• non-durable goods purchased
• durable goods purchased (except housing)
• services of owner-occupied housing
• major repairs, conversions and extensions to owner-occupied housing
• 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)
• 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 education expenditures , gross of refunds
• out of pocket transport expenditures , gross of refunds
• housing maintenance, minor repairs
• purchase of gifts of goods and services given to others outside the household
• second hand goods purchased
• expenditure abroad

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

• purchase price of owner-occupied housing
• mortgage repayments, including interest
• interest payments (excluding mortgage interest payments)
• life insurance premiums , gross of claims
• investment-related expenditures (e.g. purchase of shares/stocks)

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

• in-kind goods received from other households
• in-kind services received from other households
• regular cash payments to others outside the household
• non-regular cash payments to others outside the household
• compulsory transfers to governments (e.g. contributions to government old age and disability insurance program, taxes)
• occupational expenditures
• other business-related expenditures

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

• 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)

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
• financial services (including fees for financial advice, brokerage fees)
• 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
• purchase of gifts of goods and services given to others outside the household
• second hand goods purchased
• expenditure abroad

Classification: COICOP is used for classifying expenditure and has 1 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
• ownership of selected durable goods
• housing characteristics
• savings
• indebtedness

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

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

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 office staff.

Extreme values are amended. In-kind receipts and consumption of own production are included in the estimates. 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 included in the total income/expenditure estimates and are valued using the rental equivalent net of housing costs usually paid by owners.

The following information is used in this valuation:

• imputed based on housing and rent data

Treatment of selected groups/values in analysis: No households/units are excluded from analysis because of incomplete response. 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
• bench-marking

Sampling errors: Sampling errors are computed for all aggregates and these sampling errors are available on request.

Tabulation and Analysis:

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
• income percentiles, quartiles
• household size
• structure of household

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
• income percentiles, quartiles
• household size
• structure of household
• other characteristic of household
• other classification, possession of consumer durables standard of living

Documentation and Dissemination:
Published survey reports: Konsumerhebung 1999/2000, 09/01 (part1), 02/02 (part2)
Published methodological information: Statistische Nachrichten, 08/01 (expenditures), 11/01 (income)

Additional statistics (or special tables on request) are available for public use, free of charge (Internet) and with charges (ISIS databank). 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.