[PL] Polish Household Budget Survey (HBS)

Full name of the series in original language

Budżety gospodarstw domowych

Abstract

The household budget survey plays an important role in the analysis of the living standards of the population. It is the basic source of information on the revenues, outgoings, quantitative food consumption and other aspects of the living conditions of particular groups of the population.

The household budget survey provides detailed information on:
- the level and structure of expenditure as well as sources of goods and services;
- the consumption level of basic food products according to quantity, but also energetic value and nutrients;
- prices at which households purchase selected goods and services;
- the level and sources of income;
- households’ equipment with durable goods;
- dwelling conditions;
- subjective evaluation of the material condition of households.
- the demographic structure of households, i.e. the number of household members, their age, gender, education, disability and economic activity.

The data obtained from the household budget survey allow for the analysis of the living conditions of the population, evaluation of the impact of various factors on the living conditions of the main population groups and their differentiation.

Geographic coverage

Poland

Notes

When using HBS results for economic analysis at the national level, it is necessary to note the following factors:
- both the Polish and foreign experience in the sampling surveys which are based on the declarations of survey participants confirms that the results are burdened with non-random errors. This is especially true for income and some expenditures. The items intentionally underestimated include in the first place: incomes, expenditures on alcohol, cigarettes, sweets and meals in catering services;
- some methodological solutions applied in HBS differ from those used in National Accounts with respect to household sector and in other some statistical surveys.

All the above factors reveal some divergences between the HBS results and macroeconomic data. That is why household budget survey results should primarily be used for the analysis of relative differentiation and structure of households’ expenditure, income and consumption according to sociodemographic and other traits.

Time method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Time period

1986 => 2012

Types of available microdata

Consistency type

Access mode

Update date

15/09/2021