The Income and Expenditure Survey 2010-11 (IES) being conducted by Statistics SA has reached the halfway stage, with 12,430 households visited, Stats SA announced on Monday.
The survey, conducted every five years, gathers information about the spending patterns of people living in SA. The data is used to update the consumer price index (CPI) basket of goods and services.
Fieldworkers started gathering information for the survey in August 2010. Of the 12,430 households visited, 91% had participated in the survey.
"We appreciate the good response from the selected households so far," said Nozipho Shabalala, acting executive manager of the Household Budget Statistics Division.
About 33,000 households formed part of the sample for the survey. The households were scientifically selected in such a way that it was representative of the whole country and its population, Stats SA said.
The survey consisted of a household questionnaire as well as two sets of weekly diaries. The questionnaire was divided into four modules, which cover information ranging from the composition of the household to acquisitions made.
The households were also asked to keep track of weekly spending by keeping a diary for two consecutive weeks. This was done in order to get an accurate picture of households' spending patterns.
Stats SA noted that, although the survey was primarily designed to provide the necessary data to update the CPI basket of goods and services, the information gathered also provided useful insight into income and expenditure patterns of households in SA that would inform government planning, monitoring and assessment of programmes and policies.
The updating of the basket of goods and services ensured that the most relevant information was used to measure inflation in the country, Stats SA said.
Foreigners living and working in SA could be selected to participate.
The survey ends in September this year but its results will be released in 2012.
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