Household Budget Survey underway

THE national statistics agency, ZimStat is undertaking a household budget survey, which the agency said the statistics are critical for policy formulation and decision-making, among other key uses.

The process, which started on Monday, March 11, will end on March 31, 2024.

In a press statement, ZimStat Public Relations and Communications Manager,Ms Mercy Chidemo said the Household Budget Survey (HBS) will be conducted under the provisions of the Census and Statistics Act (Chapter 10:29).

She said information collected from the survey is strictly confidential and will be used solely for statistical purposes.

“The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) will be undertaking the 2024/25 Household Budget Survey (HBS) from 11 March 2024 to 31 March 2024.

“The survey aims to collect data for use in the following among others: estimating private consumption expenditure and disposable income of the household sector, compiling the production account of the agricultural sector and studying income/expenditure disparities among socio-economic groups,” she said.

THE Food Poverty Line (FPL) for one person in December 2023 increased by 21,6 percent to $106 696,52, the national statistics agency ZimStat has said.
Zimstat

Other aims of the survey as mentioned by ZimStat include estimating the contribution of the informal sector to the gross domestic product, estimating the size of household transfer incomes within and outside the country, calculating weights for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and calculating the poverty line, poverty rate and inequality.

Information to be collected from the 22024/25 HBS, includes household characteristics, international migration, housing characteristics, education, employment, food and non-alcoholic beverages purchased and non-food expenditures among others.

Ms Chidemo said the survey will be conducted across all provinces, covering both rural and urban areas.

“Data will be collected from a sample of 34 536 households. Given the foregoing, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency is seeking cooperation from all sampled households,” she said.

“For ease of identification, our field personnel will have with them official letters and personal Identity cards.”

Meanwhile, ZimStat will conduct the First Quarter Labour-Force Survey (QLFS), from March 12 to 26.

The survey follows the recently completed household listing exercise.

The agency said the survey will collect high-frequency labour market statistics to inform policy formulation, decision-making, human capital development strategies and compilation of Quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP), among other key uses. —chronicleco.zw