Abstract

The National Sample Surveys (NSS) are being conducted by the Government of India since 1950 to collect socio-economic data employing scientific sampling methods. The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) is designed to collect information on consumption of goods and services by the households. Information collected in HCES is used for analyzing and understanding the consumption and expenditure pattern, standard of living and well-being of the households. Besides, the data of the survey provides budget shares of different commodity groups that is used for preparation of the weighting diagram for compilation of official Consumer Price Indices (CPIs). The data collected in HCES is also utilized for deriving various other macroeconomic indicators.

Geographic coverage

The survey covers the whole of the Indian Union except the villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are difficult to access. Total 15016 FSUs was surveyed for the central sample at all-India level.

Analysis unit

Households and Individuals

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

A multistage stratified sampling design, considering villages/urban blocks as the first stage units has been used in the survey. The households are the ultimate stage units. Simple Random Sampling Without Replacement (SRSWOR) method is used for selecting the samples.

In order to ensure proper representation of households of different economic categories, all the households of a selected village/urban block are classified into three groups depending on a criterion based on (i) land possessed in rural areas and (ii) possession of car in urban areas as on the date of the survey. A total of 18 households with proportional representation from the three groups have been selected.

Note: The details of survey methodology and estimation procedure are provided in Appendix B of the survey report “Survey on Household Consumption Expenditure: 2022-23”.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

In the HCES 2022–23, the consumption basket was categorized into three broad groups: (i) Food items, (ii) Consumables and Services, and (iii) Durable Goods. Based on this classification, three separate questionnaires were developed: the Food Questionnaire (FDQ), the Consumables and Services Questionnaire (CSQ), and the Durable Goods Questionnaire (DGQ). These were administered to selected households across three consecutive monthly visits, with each visit focusing on a different category.

Additionally, a separate Household Characteristics Questionnaire (HCQ) was used to collect demographic and other background information about the household members.

To minimize any potential bias from the order of questionnaire administration, the survey employed all six possible sequences of the three main questionnaires:

(FDQ, CSQ, DGQ)

(FDQ, DGQ, CSQ)

(CSQ, FDQ, DGQ)

(CSQ, DGQ, FDQ)

(DGQ, FDQ, CSQ)

(DGQ, CSQ, FDQ)

This approach ensured that no particular sequencing influenced the results.

Abstract

The National Sample Surveys (NSS) are being conducted by the Government of India since 1950 to collect socio-economic data employing scientific sampling methods. Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-23 will commence from July 2022.

Information collected in the survey will be primarily used for preparation of weighting diagram through determination of budget shares of different commodity groups in total consumption for compilation of consumer price indices for rural and urban India. In addition, statistical indicators of level of living, social consumption and well-being, and inequalities therein will also be compiled from the data collected in the survey.

Geographic coverage

The survey will cover the whole of the Indian Union except the villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are difficult to access. Total 15016 FSUs will be surveyed for the central sample at all-India level.

Sampling procedure

In this survey, a different methodology will be used for determining the consumption and expenditure of a household on different items. The complete set of information on consumption will be collected through three different questionnaires (FDQ, CSQ and DGQ) canvassed at different time points to a sample household. Apart from these three questionnaires, another questionnaire on household characteristics (HCQ) will also be canvassed in a household. The sample households will be visited three times - in the first visit, listing of households will be done, sample households will be selected, Questionnaire on Household Characteristic (HCQ) and another Questionnaire (out of other three Questionnaires on consumption) will be canvassed. In the next two months, other two Questionnaires will be completed from the same household. Equal number of sample FSUs will be selected in a month. Thus it will be a panel survey for a short duration where each sample FSU and each sample household will be retained for a period of three months.

Although all three questionnaires on consumption will be canvassed to all selected households, sequence of questionnaire to be canvassed is also important since a suitable randomization will eliminate any bias due to any particular sequencing of questionnaire. Thus, all possible sequencing of questionnaires [(Q1, Q2, Q3), (Q1, Q3, Q2), (Q2, Q1, Q3), (Q2, Q3, Q1), (Q3, Q1, Q2) and (Q3, Q2, Q1)], where Q1 refers to FDQ, Q2 refers to CSQ and Q3 refers to DGQ, are desirable in the sample of households. If a sample household is found to be temporarily locked in second visit, the JSO/SE would visit the locked household any time later during the same month for canvassing the questionnaire. If the household is found to be locked during the entire month of second visit, the second and third visit questionnaires will be canvassed together at the time of third visit.

Number of sample households per FSU and minimum number of FSUs perstratum:

18 sample households will be canvassed within an FSU in the following manner:

Distribution of 18 sample households per FSU:

Sample households will be distributed in a manner to have all combinations of three questionnaires. Three sequences of uestionnaires can be canvassed in each FSU. Annual number of sample FSUs may be selected in the form of 10 Panels with 2 Sub-samples in each panel. One panel will be of three months duration and in each sub-sample three particular sequences of questionnaires will be allotted so that all six sequences are accommodated in 2 sub-samples of each panel. The Panel 10 will start in the month 10 and will be completed in month 12.

An illustration for determination of canvassing sequence of the households belonging to different SSS with three different allocation scenarios leading to a total of 18 households is given in Section 1.4.19. If total no of listed households for a particular FSU is less than 18 then more or less equal number of households will be canvassed in each sequence.

The number of sample FSUs per stratum will be a minimum of 20 for each of rural/urban sector separately.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]