This graph shows the total population of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the years between 1922 and 1935, as well as the total number of males and females. After the First World War the Baltic states began claiming their independence from tsarist Russia, as the events of the Russian Revolution took place. Inter-war Estonia The Estonian War of Independence from 1918 to 1920 led to the country's first period of independence, until it became occupied by the Soviet Union again in 1940 during the Second World War. After Estonia gained independence the country experienced a period of political turmoil, including a failed coup d'etat in 1924, and was hit hard by the Great Depression in 1929 before things became more stable in the mid 1930s. Between 1939 and 1945 Estonia's population was devastated by the Second World War, with some estimates claiming that as many as 7.3 percent of all civilians perished as a result of the conflict. From the graph we can see the population grew by 119 thousand people during the 12 years shown, growing from 1.107 million to 1.126 million. The number of women was also higher than the number of men during this time, by 67 thousand in 1922 and 68 thousand in 1934. Inter-war Latvia For Latvia, Independence was a hard-won struggle that had devastated the population in the late 1910s. Similarly to Estonia, the advent of independence brought many challenges to Latvia, and a period of political and economic turmoil followed, which was exacerbated by the Great Depression in 1929. After economic recovery began in 1933, and a coup d'etat established stricter control in 1934, the Latvian economy and political landscape became more stable and the quality of life improved. This lasted until the Second World War, where Latvia became one of the staging grounds of Germany's war against Soviet Russia, and approximately 12.5 percent of all civilians died. From the data we can see that Latvia's population between 1925 and 1935 grew steadily by 95,000 in this decade, with the number of men and women growing at a similar rate. Inter-war Lithuania Lithuania's experience in the interwar period was slightly different to that of Latvia and Estonia. The end of the First World War led to a growing movement for independence from German, Russian or Polish influence, however these countries were reluctant to cede control to one another, and independence was finally achieved in 1922. A right wing dictatorship was established in 1926, which maintained political and civil control until the outbreak of the Second World War, however interference from other nations, particularly Germany, was ever-present in Lithuanian economic activity. From the graph we have only one set of figures, showing that the Lithuanian population was just over 2 million in 1929, with approximately 5 percent more women than men. World War II again devastated Lithuania's population, with almost 14.4 percent of the entire population falling during the conflict.

Abstract

The first Household Budget Survey in Latvia took place in 1926-1927, the second in 1936-1937. In the post-war period Family Budget Survey was started in 1952 within the system of the former Central Statistical Board of the USSR. This survey continued also during first independence years of Latvia, after the Soviet Union collapsed. The new Household Budget Survey was introduced in September 1995.

Since 1995, Latvia Household Budget Survey has been conducted annually. The annual household sample is evenly distributed over time (the same number of households participates in the survey within each of the 52 weeks of the year).

The Household Budget Survey provides information on qualitative and quantitative indicators of standards of livings in Latvia. The survey gathers data on the structure of households, their revenue and consumer expenditures, employment of the household members, living conditions, possession of consumer durables, access to health care, culture, education, as well as subjective assessments of the households' level of welfare. Data is collected through face-to-face interviews and household expenditure diaries.

Latvia Household Budget Survey was redesigned in 2001 to improve sampling methodology and survey instruments. Latvia Population Census carried out in spring 2000 has been used to construct the sampling frame. The design of the household diary was changed to facilitate better response.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Households,
• Individuals.

Household is defined as a person or group of persons tied by relationship or other personal relations, having common subsistence expenditures and inhabiting the same living unit (house, flat, etc.), maintenance of which is covered by such persons jointly.

Universe

The target population of HBS consists of all non-institutional households in Latvia. Persons living in institutional households (elderly people boarding house, disabled children boarding house, student hostels, hotels, barracks, hospitals, sanatoriums, penal institutions, etc.) and homeless people are excluded from the survey.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

A two-stage stratified random sampling method was used to select households. The annual household sample is evenly distributed over time (the same number of households participates in the survey within each of the 52 weeks of the year). Primary sampling units are selected within each stratum using systematic probability proportional to size sampling with a random starting point. In the second stage households from each sampled PSU are selected by simple random sampling. The annual household sample is evenly distributed over time (the same number of households participates in the survey within each of the 52 weeks of the year) and space. Primary sampling units are selected within each stratum using systematic probability proportional to size sampling with a random starting point. In the second stage households from each sampled PSU are selected by simple random sampling.

Households are stratified by the degree of urbanization (location): the capital city of Riga, six other largest cities, towns, and rural areas.

The sampling frame has been constructed using information from Population Census carried out in spring 2000. The sampling frame is updated before drawing the sample.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Two types of survey instruments are used for Latvia HBS: Household Questionnaire and Household Diary.

1) Household Questionnaire. The Household Questionnaire is filled by interviewers. It consists of questionnaires for an introductory interview and a final interview.

• Household Introductory Interview covers social and demographic composition of a household, housing conditions, the possibility to use (cultivate) land, employment of household members (age 15 years and above);
• The Final Interview covers questions on income of the household members in cash, transfers (different recall periods), income in kind received from the employer, and different benefits from the state and local government social assistance, possession of durable goods in the household, household expenditure on the purchase of durable goods and other goods that are bought more seldom, on services during the last 12 months, self evaluation of living conditions (subjective poverty indicators).

Individual diary is designed for household members who are temporally absent (students, etc.).

2) Household Diary. Respondents themselves fill in the diary during four weeks. All regular household consumption expenditure as well as consumption of food products received free of charge are registered. The households are asked to record food quantities and the prices actually paid. In 2001, the design of the diary has been changed to facilitate better response. During the first two weeks (intensive diary keeping period) a separate page is used for each day. It consists of four tables according to the type of consumption expenditure: - Expenditure on food products, tobacco products and alcoholic beverages; - Meals out of doors; - Expenditure on non-food products and services; - Food products that are obtained for the household consumption from the personal farm plot, or received free of charge.

The diary recording period is 2 weeks (starting from 2009).