Abstract

The harmonized data set on health, created and published by the ERF, is a subset of Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012. It was derived from the household, individual and health modules, collected in the context of the above mentioned survey. The sample was then used to create a harmonized health survey, comparable with the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 micro data set.

----> Overview of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012:

Iraq is considered a leader in household expenditure and income surveys where the first was conducted in 1946 followed by surveys in 1954 and 1961. After the establishment of Central Statistical Organization, household expenditure and income surveys were carried out every 3-5 years in (1971/ 1972, 1976, 1979, 1984/ 1985, 1988, 1993, 2002 / 2007). Implementing the cooperation between CSO and WB, Central Statistical Organization (CSO) and Kurdistan Region Statistics Office (KRSO) launched fieldwork on IHSES on 1/1/2012. The survey was carried out over a full year covering all governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

The survey has six main objectives. These objectives are:

1. Provide data for poverty analysis and measurement and monitor, evaluate and update the implementation Poverty Reduction National Strategy issued in 2009.
2. Provide comprehensive data system to assess household social and economic conditions and prepare the indicators related to the human development.
3. Provide data that meet the needs and requirements of national accounts.
4. Provide detailed indicators on consumption expenditure that serve making decision related to production, consumption, export and import.
5. Provide detailed indicators on the sources of households and individuals income.
6. Provide data necessary for formulation of a new consumer price index number.

The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office were then harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, to create a comparable version with the 2006/2007 Household Socio Economic Survey in Iraq. Harmonization at this stage only included unifying variables' names, labels and some definitions. See: Iraq 2007 & 2012- Variables Mapping & Availability Matrix.pdf provided in the external resources for further information on the mapping of the original variables on the harmonized ones, in addition to more indications on the variables' availability in both survey years and relevant comments.

Geographic coverage

National coverage: Covering a sample of urban, rural and metropolitan areas in all the governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Analysis unit

1- Household/family. 2- Individual/person.

Universe

The survey was carried out over a full year covering all governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

----> Design:

Sample size was (25488) household for the whole Iraq, 216 households for each district of 118 districts, 2832 clusters each of which includes 9 households distributed on districts and governorates for rural and urban.

----> Sample frame:

Listing and numbering results of 2009-2010 Population and Housing Survey were adopted in all the governorates including Kurdistan Region as a frame to select households, the sample was selected in two stages: Stage 1: Primary sampling unit (blocks) within each stratum (district) for urban and rural were systematically selected with probability proportional to size to reach 2832 units (cluster). Stage two: 9 households from each primary sampling unit were selected to create a cluster, thus the sample size of total survey clusters was 25488 households distributed on the governorates, 216 households in each district.

----> Sampling Stages:

In each district, the sample was selected in two stages: Stage 1: based on 2010 listing and numbering frame 24 sample points were selected within each stratum through systematic sampling with probability proportional to size, in addition to the implicit breakdown urban and rural and geographic breakdown (sub-district, quarter, street, county, village and block). Stage 2: Using households as secondary sampling units, 9 households were selected from each sample point using systematic equal probability sampling. Sampling frames of each stages can be developed based on 2010 building listing and numbering without updating household lists. In some small districts, random selection processes of primary sampling may lead to select less than 24 units therefore a sampling unit is selected more than once , the selection may reach two cluster or more from the same enumeration unit when it is necessary.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

----> Preparation:

The questionnaire of 2006 survey was adopted in designing the questionnaire of 2012 survey on which many revisions were made. Two rounds of pre-test were carried out. Revision were made based on the feedback of field work team, World Bank consultants and others, other revisions were made before final version was implemented in a pilot survey in September 2011. After the pilot survey implemented, other revisions were made in based on the challenges and feedbacks emerged during the implementation to implement the final version in the actual survey.

----> Questionnaire Parts:

The questionnaire consists of four parts each with several sections: Part 1: Socio – Economic Data: - Section 1: Household Roster - Section 2: Emigration - Section 3: Food Rations - Section 4: housing - Section 5: education - Section 6: health - Section 7: Physical measurements - Section 8: job seeking and previous job

Part 2: Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Expenditures: - Section 9: Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 30 days). - Section 10 : Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 90 days). - Section 11: Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 12 months). - Section 12: Expenditures on Non-food Frequent Food Stuff and Commodities (7 days). - Section 12, Table 1: Meals Had Within the Residential Unit. - Section 12, table 2: Number of Persons Participate in the Meals within Household Expenditure Other Than its Members.

Part 3: Income and Other Data: - Section 13: Job - Section 14: paid jobs - Section 15: Agriculture, forestry and fishing - Section 16: Household non – agricultural projects - Section 17: Income from ownership and transfers - Section 18: Durable goods - Section 19: Loans, advances and subsidies - Section 20: Shocks and strategy of dealing in the households - Section 21: Time use - Section 22: Justice - Section 23: Satisfaction in life - Section 24: Food consumption during past 7 days

Part 4: Diary of Daily Expenditures: Diary of expenditure is an essential component of this survey. It is left at the household to record all the daily purchases such as expenditures on food and frequent non-food items such as gasoline, newspapers…etc. during 7 days. Two pages were allocated for recording the expenditures of each day, thus the roster will be consists of 14 pages.

Cleaning operations

----> Raw Data:

Data Editing and Processing: To ensure accuracy and consistency, the data were edited at the following stages: 1. Interviewer: Checks all answers on the household questionnaire, confirming that they are clear and correct. 2. Local Supervisor: Checks to make sure that questions has been correctly completed. 3. Statistical analysis: After exporting data files from excel to SPSS, the Statistical Analysis Unit uses program commands to identify irregular or non-logical values in addition to auditing some variables. 4. World Bank consultants in coordination with the CSO data management team: the World Bank technical consultants use additional programs in SPSS and STAT to examine and correct remaining inconsistencies within the data files. The software detects errors by analyzing questionnaire items according to the expected parameter for each variable.

----> Harmonized Data:

• The SPSS package is used to harmonize the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 with Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012.
• The harmonization process starts with raw data files received from the Statistical Office.
• A program is generated for each dataset to create harmonized variables.
• Data is saved on the household and individual level, in SPSS and then converted to STATA, to be disseminated.

Response rate

Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) reached a total of 25488 households. Number of households refused to response was 305, response rate was 98.6%. The highest interview rates were in Ninevah and Muthanna (100%) while the lowest rates were in Sulaimaniya (92%).

Summary statistics and variable definitions-regular access sample.