THE HOUSEHOLD BUDGET SURVEY

 

 

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION AND HOUSEHOLD INCOME

2003 2005

 

Basic characteristics of household consumption and household incomewere calculated on the basis of data collected by the Household Budget Survey. The Survey was carried out on the random sample of private households and the sample is separately defined for each year, that is, there is not a panel part of the sample (households were not repeatedly interviewed every year).

 

The structure of personal household consumption was presented in 12 basic consumption groups, actually, it was presented in expenditures for products and services by which household members pay for their existential needs. In 2005, personal consumption by husehold amounted to 69 683 kuna on the average, which represented an increase of 1.69 %, as compared to 2004.

 

 

1.    PERSONAL CONSUMPTION, AVERAGE BY HOUSEHOLD

 

Consumption groups

Average annual personal
consumption per household, kuna

Average personal consumption  structure, %

2003.

2004.

2005.

2003.

2004.

2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Personal consumption − total

65 593

68 525

69 683

100,00

100,00

100,00

Food and beverages

21 382

21 585

23 139

32,60

31,50

33,21

Alcoholic drinks and tobacco

2 752

2 779

2 788

4,19

4,06

4,00

Clothing and footwear

5 465

5 523

5 377

8,33

8,06

7,72

Housing and energy

9 037

8 923

9 452

13,78

13,02

13,56

Furniture, equipment and maintenance

3 520

3 665

3 549

5,37

5,35

5,09

Health

1 388

1 642

1 597

2,11

2,40

2,29

Transport

7 509

8 122

7 570

11,45

11,85

10,86

Communication

3 257

3 666

3 706

4,97

5,35

5,32

Recreation and culture

4 054

4 481

4 335

6,18

6,54

6,22

Education

439

510

528

0,67

0,74

0,76

Hotels and restaurans

1 813

2 337

2 363

2,76

3,41

3,39

Other goods and services

4 977

5 292

5 280

7,59

7,72

7,58

 

 

In 2005, the biggest share, about one third of personal consumption, belonged to the group Food and beverages, 33.21%.

 

On the second place there was the group Housing and energy, whose share in 2005 was 13.56%.

 

Transport held the third place in the share level of the personal consumption and in 2005 it was 10.86%, followed by Clothing and footwear, 7.72%, Other goods and services, 7.58%, Recreation and culture, 6.22%, Communication, 5.32%, and Furniture, equipment and maintenance, 5.09%.

 

All other groups in the personal consumption had a share of less than 5%, while the only consumption group with the level lower than 1% were expenditures for Education, 0.76%.

 

 

2.   TOTAL USED ASSETS, HOUSEHOLD AVERAGE

ž

 

Average of total used assets, kuna

Structure of total used assets, %

2003.

2004.

2005.

2003.

2004.

2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total used assets

77 917

82 751

82 267

100,00

100,00

100,00

Personal consumption

65 593

68 525

69 683

84,18

82,81

84,70

Financial consumption

62 364

65 335

66 270

80,04

78,95

80,55

Natural consumption

3 229

3 190

3 413

4,14

3,86

4,15

Savings

1 578

2 238

1 531

2,03

2,70

1,86

Loans and credits with interest repayment

3 788

 4 089

4 235

4,86

4,94

5,15

Investments in a flat, house and property

6 459

7 322

6 343

8,29

8,85

7,71

Family feasts

499

577

475

0,64

0,70

0,58

 

 

 

Personal consumption, as the most important part of the total used assets, is the most accurate indicator of the actual consumption. It consists of two categories: financial consumption, which accounts for the largest part for providing necessary goods and services, and natural consumption, which includes the calculated value of goods and services produced and consumed in a household.

 

Data on the structure in the observed years show that the financial consumption had a dominant share in the personal consumption, about 95%, as well as in the total used assets, which made about 80% of the total household used assets.

 

3.   AVAILABLE INCOME BY SOURCES OF EARNING, AVERAGE PER HOUSEHOLD

 

Type of available income

Total average annual income
by household, kuna

Structure of total available
income, %

2003.

2004.

2005.

2003.

2004.

2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total available  income

62 018

68 626

69 180

100,00

100,00

100,00

From paid employment

31 745

36 065

35 279

51,19

52,55

51,00

From self-employment

10 612

11 596

11 432

17,11

16,90

16,53

From property

144

289

701

0,23

0,42

1,01

Pension

11 287

11 790

12 374

18,20

17,18

17,89

Unemployment benefits

512

648

532

0,83

0,94

0,77

Other current receipts

6 521

7 058

7 515

10,51

10,29

10,86

Other transfers

1 197

1 180

1 346

1,93

1,72

1,95

 

 

 

 

Distribution of available income of the total household’s income is based on resources gained by all household members according to offered sources of earning. In order to achieve a better quality of these data, individual data by type of income were collected for each household member whenever possible. However, some components of income relate specifically to a household as a whole and were collected as such, for example, income from agriculture as well as property and rent income. Data on income were collected in the net amount.

 

The structure of the total available income in 2005 showed that about 69% of an average household income referred to primary distribution, that is, the income from paid employment, self-employment and property. Concerning the income related to the secondary distribution, that is, all other types of available income, Pensions had the most important share, about 57%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.       TOTAL AVAILABLE ASSETS, AVERAGE PER HOUSEHOLD

 

 

Total available assets, kuna

Structure of total avilable assets, %

2003.

2004.

2005.

2003.

2004.

2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available assets – total

71 878

78 630

77 831

100,00

100,00

100,00

Total available  income

62 018

68 626

69 180

86,28

87,28

88,88

Taken credits

7 619

6 768

6 140

10,60

8,61

7,89

Withdrawn  savings deposits

1 628

1 762

1 167

2,27

2,24

1,50

Other available assets1)

613

1 474

1 345

0,85

1,87

1,73

 

1)    Other available assets include the income from sale of property and income from insurance.

 

The most significant share of the total available assets in 2005 was that of the total available income, about 89%, while the share of taken credits was 7.89% and share of withdrawn savings deposits was 1.50%.

 


5.   CONSUMED QUANTITIES OF PARTICULAR FOOD PRODUCTS AND BEVERAGES IN HOUSEHOLDS1), AVERAGE PER HOUSEHOLD
      MEMBER

 

Unit of
measure

2003.

2004.

2005.

 

 

 

 

 

Rice

kg

4,8

4,7

4,9

Bread

kg

79,8

77,2

77,5

Pasta products

kg

8,6

9,4

9,4

Beef

kg

8,5

9,3

9,4

Veal

kg

2,1

2,1

2,2

Pork

kg

18,1

16,4

18,1

Poultry

kg

19,3

19,0

19,6

Dried, smoked and salted meat, salami and pâté

kg

13,7

15,6

15,3

Sea fish and frresh water fish

kg

6,3

6,6

7,8

Milk

l

83,3

84,6

85,2

Other dairy products

l

15,7

16,4

17,2

Cheese

kg

6,9

7,1

7,6

Eggs

kg

8,1

8,2

8,3

Edible oils

l

13,5

13,6

14,6

Citrus fruit

kg

10,1

11,4

11,7

Bananas

kg

9,2

9,2

10,4

Apples

kg

13,4

15,5

15,3

Stone-fruit

kg

3,5

4,0

5,0

Leafy vegetables

kg

10,1

10,7

11,8

Cabbbage, cole, broccoli

kg

9,9

12,6

11,0

  Vegetables grown for their fruit

kg

18,9

19,0

18,9

Root vegetables

kg

13,3

13,9

15,2

Dried vegetables

kg

2,9

3,0

4,6

Potato

kg

42,4

45,2

44,7

Sugar

kg

12,6

12,1

12,9

Coffee

kg

3,5

3,4

3,7

Mineral and spring waters

l

36,8

32,0

32,7

Soft drinks

l

12,1

12,8

12,6

Fruit juices

l

15,3

14,6

15,6

Spirits

l

1,0

0,9

0,6

Wine

l

12,8

11,9

10,8

Beer

l

22,3

20,9

20,8

 

 

1)    Data on food and beverages consumption refer only to quantities consumed in a household.

 


6.    CHARACTERISTICS OF SURVEYED HOUSEHOLDS

%

 

 

2003.

2004.

2005.

 

 

 

 

 DATA ON SURVEYED HOUSEHOLDS

 

 

 

Number of surveyed households

2 985

2 847

2 727

Number of interviewed persons

8 546

8 222

7 720

 

 

 

 

STRUCTURE OF HOUSEHOLDS, BY NUMBER OF MEMBERS

 

 

 

Single household

24,4

25,5

25,5

Couples without children

20,3

19,7

20,8

Couples  with children

12,6

10,7

11,1

1 child

4,2

3,9

3,8

2 children

6,4

5,3

5,4

3 and more children

2,0

1,5

1,9

Couples with older children

8,5

8,8

8,0

Couples with adult children

15,6

15,1

16,4

Households with more than one generation

17,7

19,1

17,4

Households with unrelated members

0,9

1,0

0,9

 

 

 

 

POSSESSION OF CONSUMER DURABLES IN HOUSEHOLDS

 

 

 

Car

53,5

55,1

54,5

Second car

8,3

8,7

9,5

Motorcycle up to 50 ccm

1,3

1,4

2,2

Motorcycle over 50 ccm

0,7

0,9

1,4

TV – colour

92,8

93,7

95,3

Second TV

11,5

14,5

14,5

Hi-fi

33,3

33,4

35,6

Video recorder

44,3

43,7

40,2

DVD

11,5

18,2

Personal computer

20,9

27,9

30,1

Washing machine

86,1

85,9

87,9

Dish-washer

12,4

14,7

15,6

Refridgerator

92,7

93,8

93,3

Freezer

70,1

66,1

70,0

Microwave oven

12,9

16,8

19,2

Air conditioning

10,5

 

 

Most households in the Republic of Croatia are equipped with basic durables such as colour TV, refrigerator and washing machine, while more than a half of households possess a car.

 

The increase of the possession of consumer durables was recorded in personal computers. There were 30.1% households having personal computers in 2005 and 19.2% households having microwave ovens.

 

The greatest change in the possession of consumer durables, as compared to 2004, was recorded in DVD players. In 2005, there were 18.2% households having DVD players, as compared to 2004, when there were only 11.5% households having them. At the same time, the possesion of video recoreders decreased.

 

There was a growth in households possessing a dish-washer, so in 2005 it was 15.6%. It was in 2005 that data on the possession of air conditioning  were collected for the first time (10.5% of households).

 


 

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

 

 

Since 1998, the Central Bureau of Statistics, in co-operation with county offices competent for official statistics, has carried out the Household Budget Survey based on the representative sample. The Survey is in line with the EU methodological recommendations and international standards and classifications.

 

The purpose of the Survey is to provide a description of living conditions of individual households, that is, a picture of height and structure of financial and natural consumption of a household, according to the characteristics of a household, such as income, socio-economic characteristics, number of household members, etc. The structure of consumption is observed according to the international classification COICOP-HBS (Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose adopted for the Household Budget Surveys).

 

In a limited sense, the Survey aims at obtaining data for calculation of weights that are used for measuring of consumer price indices as well as of final household consumption, which represents a part of the system of national accounts. The Survey data are also used for the calculation of poverty indicators as well as for the estimation of the tourist consumption of domestic population in preparing the Tourist Satellite Accounts.

 

The methodology of the Household Budget Survey covers only private individual households in the Republic of Croatia, that is, excluded is the population residing in institutions, boarding schools, prisons, hospitals as well as consumption made by foreign tourists.

 

The Survey is conducted as an annual survey and data are being collected for 12 months. In Croatia, as well as in most countries, this period corresponds to the calendar year. The conduction of the Survey is continuous and interviews on the field are carried out in the course of a year in 26 two-week intervals.

 

Interviewers conducted the Survey in selected dwellings using three types of questionnaires. Data for most consumption issues were collected by an interview. Those referring to food, beverages and tobacco were obtained from a diary kept in a household for 14 days.

 

 

Basic definitions

 

Household is every family or other community of individuals who live together and spend their income together for meeting the basic existential needs (accommodation, food and so on).

 

Personal consumption of a household comprises natural and financial consumption of products and services used for providing existential needs of household members. The structure of consumption expenditures is observed according to the international classification COICOP-HBS, by which expenditures are classified into 12 major groups: Food and non-alcoholic drinks, Alcoholic drinks and tobacco, Clothing and footwear, Housing, Furniture, equipment for house and regular maintenance, Health, Transport, Communications, Recreation and culture, Education, Hotels and restaurants, Other goods and services.

 

Financial consumption comprises expenditures in money spent by a household in a course of a year for purchase of products and services necessary for living and work.

 

Natural consumption comprises the consumption of food and non-food products produced on own agricultural property or in own workshop and used for own consumption.

 

Consumption, as the main aim of this statistical survey, is described through the level and structure of total used assets and involves personal consumption, savings deposits, repayments of credits and loans with interests, expenditures for investments to a house, flat or property and expenditures for family feasts.

 

 

Total available assets of the household include total available income of the household, amounts of loans and credits taken, taken savings deposits and other available assets. All items of total available assets are presented in net amounts.

 

Total available income includes income from paid employment, income from self-employment, income from property, pensions, remunerations related to unemployment, other current receipts and other transfers.

 

Income from paid employment, includes all net incomes from employment from Croatia and abroad, refund for holidays, remuneration for meals, refund for transport costs, remuneration for living separately, jubilee and other rewards, special rewards in cash or kind and income from student’s or pupil’s work through student or pupil employment agency.

 

Income from self-employment, includes the income earned from own craft, firm, free-lance, agricultural property, author’s fees, occasional and temporary work, income in cash or kind obtained through the direct deal, income from leasing of business premises, land and movables as well as goods and services produced in own production and consumed or used in own household.

 

 

Income from property includes income from royalties from patents, licences and author's property, income from interests on savings deposits, income from bonds and other securities, income from letting flat, house, weekend/summer house, garage and rooms minus payment of interest on arrears and payment of interests on loans.

 

Pensions includes remuneration for old age pensions from Croatia or abroad.

 

Remunerations related to unemployment include remunerations for unemployment and retraining, severance pay and dismissal contributions.

 

Other current receipts includes family pensions, income related to family (child allowance, maternity leave benefits,  layette assistance, alimony received minus alimony paid), compensation for sick leave, compensation for bodily impairments, rehabilitation allowances, disability pensions, refunds of housing expenditures from other persons, social welfare receivings, scholarships and scholastic awards.

 

 

Other transfers represent the difference between received and given transfers. Received transfers include income related to received free gifts in cash or kind from Croatia or abroad. Given transfers include expenditures for gifts in cash or kind to persons living in the country or abroad and paying for penalties.

 

Other available assets includes amounts from insurance for injury, disability or death, compensations for damaged or destroyed property, income from the sale of shares and other securities, and income from the sale of real estate or movable property.

 

Sampling design and sample size

 

In the year 2005 the sample frame used for the selection of dwellings occupied by private households was based on the Census 2001 data, which was also true for the 2003 and 2004 Survey.

 

In the year 2005, the Household Budget Survey sample was selected in two stages. In the first one there were 26 samples selected, each containing 13 groups of neighbouring enumeration areas called segments for each of 26 two-week periods, out of the set of 720 segments previously selected for the 2005 Labour Force Survey. In the second stage, out of each of the total of 338 selected segments, 12 dwellings, occupied by private households, were selected, which were not previously selected into the 2005 Labour Force Survey. Thus,
4 056 dwellings occupied by private households were selected. At each selected occupied dwelling all private households were interviewed. There were 2 727 private households successfully interviewed.
The response rate at the private household level was 71%.

 

 

The following table presents coefficients of variation, which are indicators of the precision of the estimates for the most important indicators in the Household Budget Survey.

 

A variation coefficient is a relative measure (percentage) of estimation accuracy and shows the range of intervals around the estimated mean value. If a particular characteristic of a basic group is estimated on the basis of a sample, different samples for years shown in the table will have different (similar) estimation values.

 

 

 

Name of variables

Variation coefficient %

2003.

2004.

2005.

 

 

 

 

TOTAL USED ASSETS

2,14

2,50

2,25

Personal consumption

1,81

2,01

1,79

Food and beverages

1,64

1,59

1,64

Alcoholic drinks and tobacco

3,12

2,91

3,31

Clothing and footwear

3,46

3,60

3,48

Housing and energy

2,05

1,90

1,92

Furniture, equipment and maintenance

3,99

3,96

3,41

Health

4,94

5,87

5,25

Transport

4,72

5,39

4,30

Communication

2,40

2,55

2,71

Recreation and culture

3,70

3,81

3,45

Education

8,22

10,98

9,39

Hotels and restaurants

4,82

5,36

4,75

Other goods and services

2,95

3,04

2,94

Savings

8,71

11,79

9,36

Loans and credits with interest repayments

5,18

5,57

5,66

Investments in a flat, house and property

10,60

12,40

14,93

 

 

 

 

TOTAL AVAILABLE ASSETS

2,24

2,27

2,25

Available income

1,86

1,91

1,97

Income from paid employment

3,33

3,09

3,17

Income from self employment

4,96

5,08

5,24

Income from property

2,98

3,26

3,84

Income from pension

3,70

3,75

4,01

Income from unemployment benefits

14,85

16,04

11,88

Other current receipts

4,62

4,26

4,56

Other transfers 

16,59

17,76

14,60

Taken credits

9,04

10,29

10,72

Withdrawn savings deposits

14,48

16,64

14,10

 

 

 

 

 

           Abbreviations

kg kilogram

l    litre

 

Symbols

… data not available