Living Conditions Survey 2004-2011

Summary

Strengths: The Living Conditions Survey (LCS, in Spanish ECV) belongs to the evermore complete set of harmonised statistical operations for European Union countries, following EU agreements (http://www.ine.es/en/daco/daco42/condivi/reg_condivi_en.htm). ECV provides the European Commission with a first-class statistical instrument for poverty and inequality studies, a follow up of social cohesion within the relevant territory, the study of population needs and the impact of social and economic policies on households and people, as well as the design of new policies. The ECV is an annual survey directed at households and was preceded by the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) carried out during he 1994-2001 period. Both surveys have similar characteristics and objectives and the EUHP contributes valuable experience to the new survey. Although data relate both to cross-sectional and longitudinal dimension, priority is given to the high quality cross-sectional data, while the longitudinal component goes back in time to the same people, studies the changes that occur in their lives when conditions and socio-economic policies are changed, and how they react to these changes. There are also several annual ad-hoc modules to approach specific research questions, such as: Intergenerational transmission of poverty (2005, 2011), Social participation (2006), Dwellings conditions, equipments and problems (2007), Over-indebtedness and financial exclusion (2008), Material deprivation (2009), Ability to take decisions (2010) Weaknesses: The survey does not cover all aspects to measure living conditions. Some of the income collected by the survey is under-reported compared with administrative data.

Type of data

Data Source
Survey

Type of Study
Survey same
Crosssection regular

Data gathering method
Face-to-face

Access to data

Conditions of access
On site free access to defined tables and microdata files for scientific purpose and elaboration. Notes for general use and for media. - Free access in Spanish to tables and anonymised microdata: http://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do?type=pcaxis&path=/t25/p453&file=inebase - Anonymised microdata, cross-sectional and longitudinal data, is also available in English: http://www.ine.es/en/prodyser/micro_ecv_en.htm; http://www.ine.es/en/prodyser/micro_ecv_lon_en.htm - Notes for general use and the media: http://www.ine.es/daco/daco42/condivi/ecv_metodo.pdf; http://www.ine.es/en/prensa/np740_en.pdf

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
Aggregated and elaborated tables plus raw anonymised microdata

Formats available
Microdata are available in CSV format. Tables are available in Excel, CSV, PC-Axis.

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
Data collection is ongoing since 2004. It is an annual survey with a rotational-group design. The sample is comprised of four independent sub-samples, each of which is a four-year panel. Each year, the sample is rotated in one of the panels. The initial sample size used was around 16,000 dwellings in each wave, weighted differently according to the household and individual samples. The income reference period is the previous calendar year.

First year of collection
2004

Stratification if applicable
In each Autonomous Community, first-stage units are stratified by the size of the municipality to which the census section belongs

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
All of Spain and the 17 regions plus 2 autonomous cities

Age range
Population aged 16 and over.

Statistical representativeness
Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
Three documents were used in the fieldwork: Household record card, household and individual questionnaires. - Main data: gross and net income available, types salaries, money transfers –housing, unemployment, elderly, survival, illness, disability and other benefits -, household income, poverty. - Other related data: Households and housing (tenure regime, facilities, equipments, expenses), labour (sector activities, occupation, working conditions and mobility, salaries), and health (general status, limitations, accessibility to services and problems to access).

Linkage

Standardisation
Spanish standard classification on economic activities, education and occupations is used

Possibility of linkage among databases
Data on households and individuals is linked through a common ID

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
Some addresses do not exist or are non-residential addresses or are unoccupied Non-response errors Processing errors See national Quality Report: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/income_social_inclusion_living_conditions/quality/national_quality_reports

Breaks
No, a harmonized and approved European questionnaire was carried out.

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
No information provided

Governance

Contact information
Sociodemographic Statistics Department
Instituto Nacional de Estadística - Spanish Statistical Office - (INE)
Castellana 183
28071 Madrid Spain Phone: 91 583 91 00
Email: info(at)ine.es
Url: http://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do?type=pcaxis&path=%2Ft25%2Fp453&file=inebase&L=0

Timeliness, transparency
ECV cross-sectional data are available in the form of tables and anonymised microdata files 16 months after the end of the data collection period, while the longitudinal microdata are available about 20 months after the end of the data collection. All this information is available on the INE website.