FIRST RELEASE

CROATIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS
10000 ZAGREB, ILICA 3, PHONE: +385 1 4806-111, P.O.B. 80, CROATIA

ISSN 1334-0565

 

YEAR: XLVI.

ZAGREB, 2 JULY, 2009

NUMBER: 14.1.1.

 

 

OBLIGED TO NOTIFY DATA SOURCE

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD BUDGET SURVEY

 

 

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION AND HOUSEHOLD INCOME

2006 2008

 

Basic characteristics of household consumption and household income were calculated on the basis of data collected by the Household Budget Survey. The Survey was carried out on the random sample of private households and the sample is separately defined for each year, that is, there is not a panel part of the sample (households were not repeatedly interviewed every year).

 

The structure of household consumption was presented in 12 basic expenditure groups of products and services by which household members meet their existential needs. These groups are in line with the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP).

 

In 2008, consumption expenditures by household amounted to 74 524 kuna on the average. The biggest share of consumption expenditures belonged to the group Food and beverages, 32.09%. On the second place there was the expenditure group Housing and energy, whose share in 2008 was 13.83%. Transport held the third place, 12.00%, followed by Clothing and footwear, 7.92%, Other goods and services, 7.71%, Recreation and culture, 5.44%, and expenditures for  Furniture, equipment and maintenance as well as for Communication with a share of about 5%. All other groups in the consumption expenditures had a share of less than 5% and the lowest share in consumption expenditures was recorded in Education, 0.89%, and in Health, 2.78%.

 

 

1.   CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES, AVERAGE BY HOUSEHOLD

 

Consumption expenditure groups

Average annual consumption expenditures per household

Kuna

Structure, %

2006.

2007.

2008.

2006.

2007.

2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Consumption expenditures  − total

69 457

74 006

74 524

100,00

100,00

100,00

Food and beverages

22 661

23 401

23 917

32,63

31,62

32,09

Alcoholic drinks and tobacco

2 550

2 871

2 593

3,67

3,88

3,48

Clothing and footwear

5 557

5 867

5 902

8,00

7,93

7,92

Housing and energy

9 503

9 876

10 303

13,68

13,34

13,83

Furniture, equipment and maintenance

3 556

4 011

3 981

5,12

5,42

5,34

Health

1 738

1 948

2 071

2,50

2,63

2,78

Transport

7 923

8 540

8 945

11,41

11,54

12,00

Communication

3 549

3 856

4 005

5,11

5,21

5,37

Recreation and culture

4311

4 604

4 051

6,21

6,22

5,44

Education

466

650

664

0,67

0,88

0,89

Hotels and restaurants

2 276

2 342

2 342

3,28

3,17

3,14

Other goods and services

5 367

6 040

5 749

7,73

8,16

7,71

 

 

2.   TOTAL USED ASSETS, AVERAGE BY HOUSEHOLD

ž

 

Total used assets per household

Kuna

Structure, %

2006.

2007.

2008.

2006.

2007.

2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total used assets

84 513

89 826

93 425

100,00

100,00

100,00

Consumption expenditures

69 457

74 006

74 524

82,18

82,39

79,77

Financial consumption

66 545

71 097

71 810

78,74

79,15

76,86

Natural consumption

2 912

2 909

2 714

3,44

3,24

2,91

Savings1)

1 731

2 343

2 284

2,05

2,61

2,44

Loans with interest repayment

4 341

5 043

5 374

5,14

5,61

5,75

Investments in a flat, house and property

8 558

7 887

10 662

10,13

8,78

11,41

Other expenditures

426

547

582

0,50

0,61

0,62

 

 

1)    Includes savings deposits, life insurance, voluntary pension insurance.


 

The biggest share in the total used assets belonged to Consumption expenditures, 79.77%, which consists of two categories: financial consumption and natural consumption. Financial consumption comprises expenditures in money spent by a household for purchase of products and services necessary for living and work. Natural consumption comprises the consumption of food and non-food products produced on own agricultural property or in own workshop and used for own consumption.

 

On the second place there were the Investments in a flat, house and property (including expenditures for major repairs, expenses for a second flat, summer house or construction site and expenses for investing in securities), whose share in the total used assets was 11.41%, followed by the Loans with interest repayment, Savings and Other expenditures.

 

 

 

3.     TOTAL AVAILABLE ASSETS, AVERAGE PER HOUSEHOLD

 

 

Total available assets

Kuna

Structure, %

2006.

2007.

2008.

2006.

2007.

2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available assets – total

82 794

86 509

89 078

100,00

100,00

100,00

Available income

72 075

77 442

79 274

87,05

89,52

88,99

   Income from paid employment

37 391

39 890

41 612

45,16

46,11

46,71

   Income from self-employment

11 109

12 480

12 265

13,42

14,43

13,77

   Income from property

624

788

817

0,75

0,91

0,92

   Pensions

13 969

13 925

14 470

16,87

16,10

16,24

  Transfers and other receipts1)

8 982

10 360

10 111

10,85

11,98

11,35

Taken credits

7 955

6 414

7 191

9,61

7,41

8,07

Withdrawn  savings deposits

1 463

1 341

1 642

1,77

            1,55

            1,84

Other available assets2)

1 301

1 313

 971

1,57

1,52

1,09

 

 

1)    Includes remunerations related to unemployment, social transfers and other receipts.

2)    Includes receipts from life insurance, non-life insurance, income from the sale of shares and other securities, and income from the sale of real estate or movable property.

 

 

 

All items of total available assets are presented in net amounts. The most significant share of the total available assets in 2008 was that of the total available income, about 89%, while the share of taken credits was 8.07% and the share of withdrawn savings deposits was 1.84%.

 

Distribution of the total household’s income is based on resources gained by all household members. In order to achieve a better quality of these data, individual data by type of income were collected for each household member whenever possible.

 

The structure of the available income in 2008 showed that about 69% of an average household income referred to primary distribution, that is, the income from paid employment, self-employment and property. Concerning the income related to the secondary distribution, that is, all other types of available income, Pensions had the most important share, about 59%.

 


4.   CONSUMED QUANTITIES OF PARTICULAR FOOD PRODUCTS AND BEVERAGES IN HOUSEHOLDS1), AVERAGE PER HOUSEHOLD
      MEMBER

 

Unit of
measure

2006.

2007.

2008.

 

 

 

 

 

Rice

kg

5,0

4,9

4,3

Bread

kg

74,2

73,9

73,0

Pasta products

kg

8,9

9,5

9,0

Beef

kg

9,2

10,0

9,1

Veal

kg

2,2

2,0

2,0

Pork

kg

14,8

14,5

15,5

Poultry

kg

19,3

18,7

17,0

Dried, smoked and salted meat, salami and pâté

kg

14,3

14,4

14,8

Sea fish and freshwater fish

kg

7,2

7,8

6,8

Milk

l

81,0

79,3

74,8

Other dairy products

l

16,4

16,4

16,6

Cheese

kg

7,1

7,9

7,3

Eggs

p/st

158

152

144

Edible oils

l

14,0

13,8

13,2

Citrus fruit

kg

13,7

13,1

12,2

Bananas

kg

10,4

10,5

9,8

Apples

kg

15,2

15,7

14,1

Stone fruit

kg

4,3

4,0

3,9

Leaf vegetables

kg

11,7

12,2

11,1

Cabbage, kale, broccoli

kg

10,7

11,7

11,3

Vegetables grown for their fruit

kg

19,0

18,2

18,1

Root vegetables

kg

14,1

14,0

14,0

Dried vegetables

kg

4,6

4,1

3,9

Potato

kg

44,6

39,5

41,2

Sugar

kg

11,2

10,7

10,5

Coffee

kg

3,5

3,8

3,5

Mineral and spring water

l

32,0

32,0

28,5

Soft drinks

l

10,6

11,5

11,4

Fruit juices

l

15,8

16,1

15,7

Spirits

l

0,7

0,8

0,7

Wine

l

10,0

10,8

9,0

Beer

l

19,6

20,0

17,0

 

1)   Data on consumed quantities do not include food and beverages consumed in restaurants and cafes.

 

 

5.    POSSESSION OF CONSUMER DURABLES IN HOUSEHOLDS

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         %

 

 

2006.

2007.

2008.

 

 

 

 

Colour TV

94,9

96,2

97,4

Second TV

16,6

19,7

21,0

Refrigerator

94,2

93,3

98,0

Freezer

68,5

69,7

74,0

Washing machine

88,9

87,4

93,4

Dish-washer

17,3

20,2

24,2

Car

56,2

58,4

58,1

Second car

10,3

11,0

11,9

Motorcycle up to 50 cc

2,6

3,3

3,5

Motorcycle over 50 cc

1,3

1,4

1,9

Hi-fi

35,6

35,0

38,8

Video recorder

37,5

32,8

33,0

DVD

28,0

35,3

41,8

Personal computer

32,7

34,5

37,0

Microwave oven

21,8

27,1

33,2

Air conditioning

12,0

19,8

23,5

 


 

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

 

Since 1998, the Central Bureau of Statistics, in co-operation with county offices competent for official statistics, has carried out the Household Budget Survey based on the representative sample. The Survey is in line with the EU methodological recommendations and international standards and classifications.

 

The purpose of the Survey is to provide a description of living conditions of individual households, that is, a picture of height and structure of financial and natural consumption of a household, according to the characteristics of a household, such as income, socio-economic characteristics, number of household members, etc. The structure of consumption is observed according to the international classification COICOP (Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose). The methodology of the Household Budget Survey covers only private households in the Republic of Croatia, that is, excluded is the population residing in institutions, boarding schools, prisons, hospitals as well as consumption made by foreign tourists.

 

The Survey data are used for calculation of weights that measuring of consumer price indices, for measuring of final household consumption (a part of the system of national accounts) as well as for the calculation of poverty indicators.

 

Data collection

 

The Survey is conducted as an annual survey and data are being collected for 12 months. This period corresponds to the calendar year. The conduction of the Survey is continuous and interviews on the field are carried out in the course of a year at 26 two-week intervals. Every other week, a part of the total sampled households are interviewed. Data are published annually.

 

Data are collected through questionnaires and a diary. Data on income and earnings as well as on most personal consumption expenditures are collected by interviewing. Data referring to food, beverages and tobacco are obtained from a diary kept in a household for 14 days.

 

The field work is carried out with 120 interviewers engaged for this purpose. Their work is organised and monitored by 28 field supervisors. The Central Bureau of Statistics carries out data entry, control, tabulation and the publishing of the Survey results.

 

According to the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 103/03), all information given by interviewed persons are confidential. The data collected are used for statistical purposes only and they are published at the aggregate level.

 

Basic definitions

 

Household is every family or other community of individuals who live together and spend their income together for meeting the basic existential needs (accommodation, food and so on).

 

Consumption, as the main aim of this statistical survey, is described through the level and structure of total used assets and involves consumption expenditures, repayments of loans with interests, expenditures for investments to a house, flat or property (expenditures for major repairs, expenses for a second flat, summer house or construction site or expenses for the investing in securities), savings and other expenditures (e.g. expenditures for family feasts, penalties).

 

Household consumption expenditures comprise natural and financial consumption of products and services used for meeting existential needs of household members.

 

The structure of consumption expenditures is observed according to the international classification COICOP, by which expenditures are classified into 12 major groups: Food and non-alcoholic drinks, Alcoholic drinks and tobacco, Clothing and footwear, Housing and energy, Furniture, equipment for house and regular maintenance, Health, Transport, Communications, Recreation and culture, Education, Hotels and restaurants, Other goods and services.

 

Total available assets of the household include total available income of the household, amounts of loans and credits taken, taken savings deposits and other available assets. All items of total available assets are presented in net amounts.

 

Total available income includes income from paid employment, income from self-employment, income from property, pensions and transfers and other receipts.

 

Income from paid employment includes all net incomes from employment from Croatia and abroad, refund for holidays, remuneration for meals, refund for transport costs, remuneration for living separately, jubilee and other rewards, special receipts in cash or kind and income from student’s or pupil’s work through student or pupil employment agency.

 

Income from self-employment includes the income earned from own craft, firm, free-lance, agriculture, author’s fees, occasional and temporary work, income in cash or kind obtained through the direct deal, income from leasing of business premises and movables as well as goods and services produced in own production and consumed or used in own household.

 

Income from property includes income from royalties from patents, licences and author's property, income from interests on savings deposits, income from bonds and other securities, income from letting flat, house, weekend/summer house, garage and rooms and income form leasing of lend.

 

Pensions includes remuneration for old age pensions from Croatia or abroad.

 

Transfers and other receipts includes remunerations related to unemployment (remunerations for unemployment and retraining, dismissal contributions and severance pays due to a continuous problem of surplus of workers), other social transfers (family and disability pensions, income related to family, compensation for sick leave, compensation for bodily impairments, rehabilitation allowances, refunds of housing expenditures from other persons, social welfare receipts, scholarships and scholastic awards) and other receipts (alimonies, income tax repayment, gifts in cash or kind from Croatia or abroad).

 

Sampling design and sample size

 

The Survey was carried out on the random sample of private households and the sample is separately defined for each year, that is, there is not a panel part of the sample (households were not repeatedly interviewed every year). In the year 2008 the sample frame used for the selection of dwellings occupied by private households was based on the Census 2001 data, which was also true for the 2006 and 2007 surveys.

 


 

In the year 2008, the Household Budget Survey sample was selected in two stages. In the first one there were 467 segments selected (segments are groups of neighbouring enumeration areas) out of segments previously selected for the 2008 Labour Force Survey. In the second stage, out of each of selected segments, 10 dwellings, occupied by private households, were selected, which were not previously selected into the 2008 Labour Force Survey. Thus, 4 670 dwellings occupied by private households were selected. At each selected occupied dwelling all private households were interviewed. There were 3 108 private households successfully interviewed. The response rate at the household level was 71%

 

           Abbreviations

 

cc       cubic centimetre

kg       kilogram

l          litre

p/st     pieces/sticks