Expenditure and Consumption Survey, 1996
West Bank and Gaza, 1995 - 1996
Created on
Apr 25, 2019
Last modified
Apr 25, 2019
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Identification
Survey ID Number
WBG_1996_PECS_v01_M
Title
Expenditure and Consumption Survey, 1996
Country
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| West Bank and Gaza | WBG |
Study type
Income/Expenditure/Household Survey [hh/ies]
Series Information
Annual survey collected by the country Statistical Office
Abstract
The basic goal of this survey is to provide the necessary database for formulating national policies at various levels. It represents the contribution of the household sector to the Gross National Product (GNP). Household Surveys help as well in determining the incidence of poverty, and providing weighted data which reflects the relative importance of the consumption items to be employed in determining the benchmark for rates and prices of items and services.
Generally, the Household Expenditure and Consumption Survey is a fundamental cornerstone in the process of studying the nutritional status in the Palestinian territory.
The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office was cleaned and harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, in the context of a major research project to develop and expand knowledge on equity and inequality in the Arab region.
The main focus of the project is to measure the magnitude and direction of change in inequality and to understand the complex contributing social, political and economic forces influencing its levels. However, the measurement and analysis of the magnitude and direction of change in this inequality cannot be consistently carried out without harmonized and comparable micro-level data on income and expenditures.
Therefore, one important component of this research project is securing and harmonizing household surveys from as many countries in the region as possible, adhering to international statistics on household living standards distribution. Once the dataset has been compiled, the Economic Research Forum makes it available, subject to confidentiality agreements, to all researchers and institutions concerned with data collection and issues of inequality.
Data is a public good, in the interest of the region, and it is consistent with the Economic Research Forum's mandate to make micro data available, aiding regional research on this important topic.
Generally, the Household Expenditure and Consumption Survey is a fundamental cornerstone in the process of studying the nutritional status in the Palestinian territory.
The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office was cleaned and harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, in the context of a major research project to develop and expand knowledge on equity and inequality in the Arab region.
The main focus of the project is to measure the magnitude and direction of change in inequality and to understand the complex contributing social, political and economic forces influencing its levels. However, the measurement and analysis of the magnitude and direction of change in this inequality cannot be consistently carried out without harmonized and comparable micro-level data on income and expenditures.
Therefore, one important component of this research project is securing and harmonizing household surveys from as many countries in the region as possible, adhering to international statistics on household living standards distribution. Once the dataset has been compiled, the Economic Research Forum makes it available, subject to confidentiality agreements, to all researchers and institutions concerned with data collection and issues of inequality.
Data is a public good, in the interest of the region, and it is consistent with the Economic Research Forum's mandate to make micro data available, aiding regional research on this important topic.
Kind of Data
Sample survey data [ssd]
Unit of Analysis
1- Household/families.
2- Individuals.
2- Individuals.
Version
Version Description
V1.0: A cleaned and a harmonized version of the survey dataset, produced by the Economic Research Forum for dissemination.
Version Date
2012-11
Version Notes
All documentation available for the original survey, whether provided by the Statistical Office or generated by the Economic Research Forum, has been published. However, as far as the datasets are concerned, the Economic Research Forum produces and releases only the harmonized versions in both SPSS and STATA formats.
Scope
Notes
Households: Includes geographic, social, and economic characteristics of households, namely, household composition, dwelling characteristics, ownership of assets indicators, heads' and spouses' characteristics, annual household expenditure and income.
Individuals: Includes demographic, education, labor and health characteristics, as well as annual income for household members identified as earners.
Fathers' and mothers' characteristics are generated for household members if possible.
Individuals: Includes demographic, education, labor and health characteristics, as well as annual income for household members identified as earners.
Fathers' and mothers' characteristics are generated for household members if possible.
Topics
| Topic | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Poverty | ERF |
| Expenditure | ERF |
| Income | ERF |
| Infrastructure | ERF |
| Education | ERF |
| Labor | ERF |
| Health | ERF |
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
The target population in the sample survey comprises all households living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, excluding nomads and students.
Universe
The survey covered a national sample of households and all permanently residing individuals in surveyed households.
Producers and sponsors
Primary investigators
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics | Palestinian National Authority |
Sampling
Sampling Procedure
Sample and Frame:
============
In the absence of a population census since 1967, the major task, with regard to constructing master sample, was developing a frame of suitable units covering the whole country. Such units have been used as the PSUs (Primary Sampling Units) in the first stage of selection.
For the second stage of selection, all PSUs have been listed in the field at the household level.
This provided a sampling frame for selecting the households.
Sample design:
==========
The sample design is, therefore, a stratified two-stage design for households selected to be interviewed.
Four levels of stratification have been made:
1. Stratification by District.
2. Stratification by place of residence, which comprises:
(a) Municipalities (b) Villages (C) refugees camps
3. Stratification by locality size
4. Stratification by cell identification in that order
Sample size:
========
The sample size is about 4893 households allowing for non-response and related losses.
Target cluster size:
============
The target cluster size or "sample-take" is the average number of households to be selected per PSU. In this survey, the sample take is around 10 households.
Detailed information/formulas on the sampling design are available in the user manual.
============
In the absence of a population census since 1967, the major task, with regard to constructing master sample, was developing a frame of suitable units covering the whole country. Such units have been used as the PSUs (Primary Sampling Units) in the first stage of selection.
For the second stage of selection, all PSUs have been listed in the field at the household level.
This provided a sampling frame for selecting the households.
Sample design:
==========
The sample design is, therefore, a stratified two-stage design for households selected to be interviewed.
Four levels of stratification have been made:
1. Stratification by District.
2. Stratification by place of residence, which comprises:
(a) Municipalities (b) Villages (C) refugees camps
3. Stratification by locality size
4. Stratification by cell identification in that order
Sample size:
========
The sample size is about 4893 households allowing for non-response and related losses.
Target cluster size:
============
The target cluster size or "sample-take" is the average number of households to be selected per PSU. In this survey, the sample take is around 10 households.
Detailed information/formulas on the sampling design are available in the user manual.
Deviations from the Sample Design
The standard errors for the main survey estimates were calculated to give the user an idea of their reliability or precision. Whereas, the variance was calculated using the method of ultimate clusters within any domain of estimation.
Detailed information on the sampling design deviation and calculation of the variance is available in the user manual.
Detailed information on the sampling design deviation and calculation of the variance is available in the user manual.
Response Rate
Excluding the uninhabited housing units, the survey sample is (4806) households, from which (3422) households are in the West Bank, and (1384) households are in Gaza Strip. A total of (4584) households completed the questionnaire: (3213) household in the West bank and (1335) households in Gaza Strip. The non-response rate is, accordingly, 5.7% for all the Palestinian territory.
Weighting
Self-Weighting Design
Detailed weight formulas are available in the user manual attached to external resources.
Detailed weight formulas are available in the user manual attached to external resources.
Data Collection
Dates of Data Collection
| Start | End | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 1995-10 | 1996-09 | Annual |
Data Collection Mode
Face-to-face [f2f]
Data Collection Notes
1) Pilot Survey
A pilot survey, designed for testing the questionnaire, fieldwork procedures and instructions, data entry template and instructions, and the estimated costs, was carried out in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip for two weeks during the months of May and June 1995. A total of 96 households in the West Bank and 24 households in Gaza Strip were selected for pilot testing.
The pilot survey results were thoroughly evaluated and modification in the plan, questionnaire,…etc were made accordingly.
2) Field Operations
Nine teams of female interviewers, 7 in the West Bank and 2 in Gaza Strip carried out data collection. Each team consisted of a supervisor, a field editor, and 4-5 interviewers.
Fieldwork teams were distributed to different districts according to sample allocation.
All field staff received a nine-day training session combining general, theoretical, and practical components. Interviewers, supervisors, and editors for the survey were selected according to their performance on a written examination administered at the end of the training session.
Fieldwork procedures and organization were designed to ensure adequate supervision and the collection of high quality data. To this end, several quality control measures were used throughout the fieldwork.
The interviewer undertook between 120 and 150 household visits in a month. The households were asked to keep daily records in a dairy during their recording month.
A pilot survey, designed for testing the questionnaire, fieldwork procedures and instructions, data entry template and instructions, and the estimated costs, was carried out in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip for two weeks during the months of May and June 1995. A total of 96 households in the West Bank and 24 households in Gaza Strip were selected for pilot testing.
The pilot survey results were thoroughly evaluated and modification in the plan, questionnaire,…etc were made accordingly.
2) Field Operations
Nine teams of female interviewers, 7 in the West Bank and 2 in Gaza Strip carried out data collection. Each team consisted of a supervisor, a field editor, and 4-5 interviewers.
Fieldwork teams were distributed to different districts according to sample allocation.
All field staff received a nine-day training session combining general, theoretical, and practical components. Interviewers, supervisors, and editors for the survey were selected according to their performance on a written examination administered at the end of the training session.
Fieldwork procedures and organization were designed to ensure adequate supervision and the collection of high quality data. To this end, several quality control measures were used throughout the fieldwork.
The interviewer undertook between 120 and 150 household visits in a month. The households were asked to keep daily records in a dairy during their recording month.
Data Collectors
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics | PCBS | Palestinian National Authority |
Questionnaires
Questionnaires
The PECS questionnaire consists of two main sections:
First section: Certain articles / provisions of the form filled at the beginning of the month, and the remainder filled out at the end of the month. The questionnaire includes the following provisions:
Cover sheet: It contains detailed and particulars of the family, date of visit, particular of the field/office work team, number/sex of the family members.
Statement of the family members: Contains social, economic and demographic particulars of the selected family.
Statement of the long-lasting commodities and income generation activities: Includes a number of basic and indispensable items (i.e, Livestock, or agricultural lands).
Housing Characteristics: Includes information and data pertaining to the housing conditions, including type of shelter, number of rooms, ownership, rent, water, electricity supply, connection to the sewer system, source of cooking and heating fuel, and remoteness/proximity of the house to education and health facilities.
Monthly and Annual Income: Data pertaining to the income of the family is collected from different sources at the end of the registration / recording period.
Second section: The second section of the questionnaire includes a list of 54 consumption and expenditure groups itemized and serially numbered according to its importance to the family. Each of these groups contains important commodities. The number of commodities items in each for all groups stood at 707 commodities and services items. Groups 1-21 include food, drink, and cigarettes. Group 22 includes homemade commodities. Groups 23-45 include all items except for food, drink and cigarettes. Groups 50-54 include all of the long-lasting commodities. Data on each of these groups was collected over different intervals of time so as to reflect expenditure over a period of one full year.
First section: Certain articles / provisions of the form filled at the beginning of the month, and the remainder filled out at the end of the month. The questionnaire includes the following provisions:
Cover sheet: It contains detailed and particulars of the family, date of visit, particular of the field/office work team, number/sex of the family members.
Statement of the family members: Contains social, economic and demographic particulars of the selected family.
Statement of the long-lasting commodities and income generation activities: Includes a number of basic and indispensable items (i.e, Livestock, or agricultural lands).
Housing Characteristics: Includes information and data pertaining to the housing conditions, including type of shelter, number of rooms, ownership, rent, water, electricity supply, connection to the sewer system, source of cooking and heating fuel, and remoteness/proximity of the house to education and health facilities.
Monthly and Annual Income: Data pertaining to the income of the family is collected from different sources at the end of the registration / recording period.
Second section: The second section of the questionnaire includes a list of 54 consumption and expenditure groups itemized and serially numbered according to its importance to the family. Each of these groups contains important commodities. The number of commodities items in each for all groups stood at 707 commodities and services items. Groups 1-21 include food, drink, and cigarettes. Group 22 includes homemade commodities. Groups 23-45 include all items except for food, drink and cigarettes. Groups 50-54 include all of the long-lasting commodities. Data on each of these groups was collected over different intervals of time so as to reflect expenditure over a period of one full year.
Data Processing
Data Editing
Raw Data
=======
Harmonized Data
============
- The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) is used to clean and harmonize the datasets.
- The harmonization process starts with cleaning all raw data files received from the Statistical Office.
- Cleaned data files are then all merged to produce one data file on the individual level containing all variables subject to harmonization.
- A country-specific program is generated for each dataset to generate/compute/recode/rename/format/label harmonized variables.
- A post-harmonization cleaning process is run on the data.
- Harmonized data is saved on the household as well as the individual level, in SPSS and converted to STATA format.
=======
Harmonized Data
============
- The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) is used to clean and harmonize the datasets.
- The harmonization process starts with cleaning all raw data files received from the Statistical Office.
- Cleaned data files are then all merged to produce one data file on the individual level containing all variables subject to harmonization.
- A country-specific program is generated for each dataset to generate/compute/recode/rename/format/label harmonized variables.
- A post-harmonization cleaning process is run on the data.
- Harmonized data is saved on the household as well as the individual level, in SPSS and converted to STATA format.
Data Appraisal
Estimates of Sampling Error
Generally, surveys samples are exposed to two types of errors.
The statistical errors, being the first type, result from studying a part of a certain society and not including all its sections. And since the Household Expenditure and Consumption Surveys are conducted using a sample method, statistical errors are then unavoidable. Therefore, a potential sample using a suitable design has been employed whereby each unit of the society has a high chance of selection. Upon calculating the rate of bias in this survey, it appeared that the data is of high quality.
The second type of errors is the non-statistical errors that relate to the design of the survey, mechanisms of data collection, and management and analysis of data. Members of the work commission were trained on all possible mechanisms to tackle such potential problems, as well as on how to address cases in which there were no responses (representing 3.1%).
The statistical errors, being the first type, result from studying a part of a certain society and not including all its sections. And since the Household Expenditure and Consumption Surveys are conducted using a sample method, statistical errors are then unavoidable. Therefore, a potential sample using a suitable design has been employed whereby each unit of the society has a high chance of selection. Upon calculating the rate of bias in this survey, it appeared that the data is of high quality.
The second type of errors is the non-statistical errors that relate to the design of the survey, mechanisms of data collection, and management and analysis of data. Members of the work commission were trained on all possible mechanisms to tackle such potential problems, as well as on how to address cases in which there were no responses (representing 3.1%).
Access policy
Access authority
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Research Forum | Economic Research Forum (ERF) | erfdataportal@erf.org.eg | www.erf.org.eg |
| Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics | Palestinian National Authority | diwan@pcbs.gov.ps | www.pcbs.gov.ps |
Contacts
| Name | URL | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Research Forum (ERF) - 21 Al-Sad Al-Aaly St., Dokki, Giza, Egypt | erfdataportal@erf.org.eg | www.erf.org.eg |
Confidentiality
To access the micro-data, researchers are required to register on the ERF website and comply with the data access agreement.
The data will be used only for scholarly, research, or educational purposes. Users are prohibited from using data acquired from the Economic Research Forum in the pursuit of any commercial or private ventures.
Access conditions
Licensed datasets, accessible under conditions.
Citation requirements
The users should cite the Economic Research Forum and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics as follows:
"Economic Research Forum and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Palestinian Consumption and Expenditure Survey 1995/1996 (PECS 1995/1996), Version 1.0 of the Licensed data files (March 2013), provided by the Economic Research Forum. http://www.erfdataportal.com/index.php/catalog"
"Economic Research Forum and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Palestinian Consumption and Expenditure Survey 1995/1996 (PECS 1995/1996), Version 1.0 of the Licensed data files (March 2013), provided by the Economic Research Forum. http://www.erfdataportal.com/index.php/catalog"
Disclaimer and copyrights
Disclaimer
The Economic Research Forum and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics have granted the researcher access to relevant data following exhaustive efforts to protect the confidentiality of individual data. The researcher is solely responsible for any analysis or conclusions drawn from available data.
Copyright
(c) 2012, Economic Research Forum | (c) 1996, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Metadata production
DDI Document ID
DDI_WBG_1996_PECS_v01_M
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Research Forum | ERF | Cleaning and Harmonizing raw data received from the Statistical Office |
Date of Metadata Production
2012-11
DDI Document version
Version 1.0
DDI Number, Study ID and Country fields edited by World Bank Data Group (May 2013)
DDI Number, Study ID and Country fields edited by World Bank Data Group (May 2013)