Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (SILC)

On its accession to the European Union, it became obligatory for the Czech Republic to organize the EU_SILC (European Union – Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) survey. Since 2005 the Czech Statistical Office has been running annual rounds of the survey under the official title of Životní podmínky (Living Conditions). The national version of the EU-SILC made it possible to collect data on the well-being of Czech households which are comparable in the long term not only within the Czech Republic but also internationally. Due to a standardized methodology applied wherever the survey takes place, the analysts can compare results from Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and all the 27 EU member states. The aim of the survey is to gather representative data on income distribution for various types of household, data on housing – its quality and affordability, on household consumer durables and labor, financial and health conditions of adults living in private households. The household questionnaire, for instance, yields data for quality of accommodation assessment. Housing quality is influenced by several factors related to the dwelling itself and its immediate surroundings. One of the factors is excessive humidity, caused by leaking roofs, damp or moldy walls or floors. EU-SILC data are used to examine the level of financial and material deprivation or intensity of economic activity. The combat against poverty and social exclusion is a part of the European Social Agenda adopted by the European Council in Nice in 2000. The year 2010 was chosen to be the official European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.