Official name of the survey/data source:
Family Expenditure Survey 1990-1991

Administrative unit responsible for survey:

Copies of the codebook and other documentation can be obtained from at the above address.

Since 1985 there are "continuous" Family Expenditure Surveys in Spain. The first year in which the survey was conducted was 1958 and was available as microdata since 1973/74. The main purpose of the surveys to provide information on spending patterns for the Spanish retail price index. The main users of the survey have been the National Instituteof Statistics and various researchers.

The process of data collection (i.e. field work) LIS data was begun in April 1990 and completed in March 1991.

The public has access to the data only under the condition that the data are used for research or statistical purposes only.

A bibliography of the most important publications based on the survey is provided in Section M.

B POPULATION AND SAMPLE SIZE, SAMPLING METHODS back

The sampling frame for the survey consists of the Spanish census list. The sampling frame includes the total population of household heads.

However, people living permanently in institutions (prison, long-term hopsital care, military installations, etc.)are excluded from the sampling frame. Once the sample was selected from the sampling frame, allsampling units were eligible for interview.

1. The Sample Design

A two-stage stratified sample design has been used. The sample has been designed to be self-weighting (to strate level). There has been no purposeful sampling or oversampling. In a first stage census districts were sampled out of a total of 31000. In a second stage housing units were sampled (out of a total population of 11,500,000 units. Unoccupied units and non-response units were replaced randomly with units of the same district. A total of 21,155 (unweighted) respondents were actually surveyed ou of a total of 11,298,509. This is the sample that was made available for the LIS database.

C. MEASURES OF DATA QUALITY back

1. Item and Group Nonresponse Rates

About 15,72% of original sampled units were absent. Another 21.17% of the original units refused to collaborate. This gives us a total non-reponse of 36.89%. With replacements (Real Sample / Theoretic Sample * 100): 79.77%.

2. Reporting and Under-Reporting and Income Data Quality

An evaluation of the quality of the income data has been made, including comparisons with Spanish Wage Survey. Results have also been compared with National Accounts. Other but income information have also been compared with labor force survey, Population and Housing Census, Socio-Demographic Survey, the Spanish Food Consumption etc. .. .

Non-response Rates by Kind of Income 1990 Last Term:

3. Data Corrections and Adjustments

In some cases hot deck has been applied. "deterministic" imputation in others.

4. General Assessment of Income Data Quality

Non-response was higher in larger cities, such as Madrid and non-response was also higher for smaller households.

D. DATA COLLECTION AND ACQUISITION back

1. Method of Data Collection

First an letter was sent to all respondents, followed by personal visit of the interviewer. Participation in the survey was mandatory (Ley de Estadistica de 31 Diciembre de 1945). Privacy of the respondents was assured explicitly.

2. Structure of the Survey Instrument

Sections:

1) Expenditure Household questionnaire to be filled in by the head of the household;

2) an individual Expenditure Questionnaire for each adult (14 or older); 3) an expenditure questionnaire for those goods whose purchase frequency is more then once a week; 4) a Questionnaire requesting basic information about the main characteristics of the household and its members: household income household savings and dwelling equipment.

3. Survey Respondent Rules

Questionnaire 1 had to be completed by the head of the household. Questionnaire 2 by all adult members of the household. Questionnaire 3 and 4 had no specific respondent requirements.

E. WEIGHTING PROCEDURES back

A survey weight has been assigned to each sample case in order to represent the true population/household structure and post-stratification in order to fight non-response bias.

The sum of the survey weights equals the total number of units in the sampling frame.

F. DETERMINATION OF SURVEY UNIT MEMBERSHIP back

A household is considered to be a group of persons sharing a dwelling (or part of it) and sharing a common budget. The definition does not include independent households living in institutions, even if they have expenditure autonomy.

A person is considered a member of the houshold if he or she does not live in another dwelling and :

- is present in the dwelling at least the day of the interview;

- is economically dependent of the household budget;

- is present at the dweling at least three months within the six months before the interview took place (three of the twelve previous months is the person is considered to be the head of the household. Persons fulfilling the first and the second condition, although usually staying at another dwelling, are considered to be members of the household. Exceptions are guests (contributing or not to the household budget) and domestic workers.

G. CHILDREN AND SPOUSES back

No specific rule, although the age and the relationship to the head of the household is available. The spouse is defined by law or common law marital relationships. The parents of the head and the aprents of the spouse have also been defined.

H. AVAILABILITY OF BASIC SOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION back

It is possible to identify the geographic location of the sampling units in this survey. The geographic categories which are used in this survey are regions, provinces, size of municipalities, rural and urban areas.

I. AVAILABILITY OF LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION back

J. AVAILABILITY OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION back

K. SOURCES AND AMOUNTS OF CASH INCOME back

Sources and amounts of income are recorded for annual periods. The amounts recorded were the actual amounts received.

L. TAXES back

M. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MAIN PUBLICATIONS back

Ayala, L., Martinez, R., Ruiz-Huerta, J. (1993), "La distribución de la Renta en España en los años ochenta: una perspectiva comparada". Actas del Simposio sobre desigualdad y distribución de la Renta y la Riqueza, vol II, pp. 101-136. Fondación Argentara, Madrid 1993.

Bosch, A., Escribano, C., Sanchez, I. (1989): "Evolución de la desigualdad u la pobreza en España. Estudio basado en las Encuestas de Presupuestos Familiares 1973-74 y 1980-1981, Madrid: Institutio Nacional de Estadistica.

Escribano, C. (1990), "Evolución de la pobreza y la desigualdad en España. 1973-1987". Información Commercial Española, 686, pp. 81-101.

INE (1993), "Estudio de los hogares menos favorecidos en la Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares 1990-1991". Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. Madrid.

Mercader, M. (1993), "Bajos niveles de Renta en España y una comparación con el Reino Unido y Francia". I Simposio sobre desigualdad y distribución de la Renta y la Riqueza. Fundación Argentaria. Madrid.

Ruiz-Castillo, J. (1991), "The distribution of Expenditure in Spain: 1973-74 to 1980-81", Working Papers, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 93-08.

Sanz, B. (1995), "La renta de los hogares en las fuentes estadisticas", Mimeo, Instituto de Estudios Fiscales.