Household Budget Survey 1996

The Armenia HBS 96 questionnaire was designed to collect information on several aspects of household behavior -- demographic composition, housing, health, consumption expenditures as well as income by source and employment. Information was collected about all the household members, not just about the head of the household alone.

Household Questionnaire

The main household questionnaire used in Armenia HBS 96 contained 13 sections, each of which covered a separate aspect of household activity. The various sections of the household questionnaire are described below followed by a brief description of the diary used to record the daily income and expenditure activities of participating households. All households completed sections A through J, L, and M. Households selected to receive the recall method for expenditures completed section K as well; the remainder filled out the diary instead of being interviewed for section K.

A . FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS AND HOUSING:
This section collected basic demographic data such as name, age, sex, education, health, marital status and economic status of everyone living in the household, number of people in the household, etc. In addition, information collected included data on the type of educational institutions attended (private/public), special groups (disabled, single parents, orphan...), dwelling amenities and conditions of the household such as type of dwelling (apartment, house, hostel...) and available facilities (electricity, hot water, telephone...)

B. INCOME FROM EMPLOYMENT:
This section collected information on income from employment, type of industry each household member is engaged in, type of ownership of the organization where each person works, salary and other cash payments received, employment subsidies in terms of services (e.g. transport and health ). The recall period covers the 30 days prior to the interview date.

C. INCOME FROM SELF EMPLOYMENT:
This section collected information about self-employed persons, their income from selfemployment, costs of equipment and raw materials owned by their business, sector in which the individual is self-employed, etc. The recall period covers 30 days prior to the interview.

D. STATE BENEFITS:
This section included information on entitlements and receipt of state benefits such as pension, disability, child benefit, unemployment benefit, single-mother benefit, etc. during the last 30 days preceding the date of the interview.

E. OTHER CASH INCOMES:
Included in this section are approximate values of the various types of cash incomes such as those from sale of property, valuables, alimony, rent from properties, dividends and interest, help from relatives, etc. the household received during the last 30 days preceding the date of the interview.

F. AID (ASSISTANCE):
This section included information on whether food and non-food (e.g. medical help) assistance were received by the household in forms other than cash from friends, relatives, humanitarian organizations, etc. and the values of such assistance received during the last 30 days preceding the date of the interview.

G. SAVINGS, ASSETS AND LOANS:
This section collected information on savings, assets and loans made by the household to others, amount of borrowing from others, and the associated interest rates during the past 30 days.

H. GENERAL ECONOMIC SITUATION:
This section collected information about the current economic situation as perceived by the household, how it changed over the past 90 days and the household’s future expectations over the next 90 days.

I. LAND OWNERSHIP AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE:
This section collected information on the amount of land owned by the household in hectares, each crop type harvested and consumed, crop in storage for own household use, home produced food such as diary products, milk, eggs, etc. and animal stock. The recall period for this section generally is the current year, but for the value of household consumption, and crops sold in the market, it uses a recall period of the past 30 days.

J. FOOD IN STOCK (RESERVES):
This section collected data on the amount of food in stock the household currently has such as bread, meat, cereals vegetables, etc.

K. EXPENDITURE FOR 30 DAYS (RECALL METHOD):
This section collected expenditure information for the last 30 days on food purchases by item; clothing and foot wear for adults; children’s clothes; fabrics; household furniture, cars, carpets, and electrical appliances; household consumables such as soap and stationary; building materials, bathroom appliances and household tools; household utensils; household services; utilities; leisure activities; health; transport; education; domestic animals; land; tourism; and business activities.

L. EMIGRATION:
This section collected information on whether anybody in the household worked outside Armenia for more than three months over the past five years; if the emigrating household member is still abroad and his/her final destination country.

M. "PAROS" social program:2
This section collected information on whether the household is in the PAROS program and points the family has in the PAROS system in their social passport.

Z. GUESTS AND EATING OUT
This section collected information on how many people ate in the household during the 30 days prior to the interview, how many times the household invited guests for dinner; and was invited; amount of food given to friends and relatives by the household. The codes for these variables are available in the data dictionary.

Diary Questionnaire

The diary questionnaire was used to collect daily income and expenditure activities of the participating households for 30 consecutive days during the interview period. It was administered to 25% of the households in the sample who also completed sections A through J, L and M from the household questionnaire. For participating households, this substitutes for section ‘K’ of the basic household questionnaire discussed above and has seven (7) sections. Participating households were instructed on the rules for keeping the diary namely: all expenditures should be recorded; the recording of information should be done every day; each person in the household should be covered; items brought by someone else into the household should be included; all food items whether bought, home produced or received for free should be recorded; wherever possible, documents and receipts should be used; and all non-food items and services as well as incomes should be recorded.

1 . PROVISIONS: This section records all purchased food brought home for consumption each day - whether it is consumed the same day or not.
2 . FOOD CONSUMPTION - Purchased: This section records consumption of purchased food by members of the household and guests each day (no matter when the purchase took place, this section included only the amount consumed that specific day).
3 . FOOD CONSUMPTION - Non - Purchased: This section records all non-purchased food and drinks ( home produced and gifts from family and friends) consumed by members of the household and guests each day.
4 . FOOD CONSUMPTION - Outside home: This section records all expenditure for eating outside home by members of the household each day such as dinner, coffee and cake, etc., and where the food was eaten.
5 . CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES - Purchased: This section records all purchased goods and services by the household each day. It includes non-food purchases such as clothing, visits to theaters or cinema, education fees, etc.
6 . CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES - Non - Purchased: This section records all non - purchased goods and services (freely received ) by the household each day.
7 . INCOME: This section records all types of income received by the household in each of the 30 days for which the diary is kept.