28 July 2023
The Statistics Office will be conducting a Household Expenditure Survey (HES) from August to October 2023. The survey is being conducted under the Statistics Ordinance 2000, and is the tenth such survey to take place on the Island.
The main purpose of the survey will be to update the ‘shopping basket’ used in the Retail Price Index (RPI), which in turn is used to measure the rate of inflation in St Helena. It is important that this basket is reviewed every five years to make sure that it represents a current and relevant picture of the average spending patterns of households on the Island. This helps to ensure that the measures of inflation calculated by the Statistics Office are as accurate as possible.
Fieldwork for the survey will start at the beginning of August and is expected to take approximately 6-8 weeks to complete. The Statistics team will be visiting a sample of around 150 households, selected at random within each District, to explain the purpose of the survey, what it involves, and to help respondents complete the questionnaires and forms. If your household is selected, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire on the basic characteristics of the household and household members, plus details about regular bills and infrequent spending, such as utilities, appliances, furniture, and items in bulk. An expenditure diary will help you and household members record the value and description of every item they purchase over a two-week period.
All results gathered from the survey will be kept strictly confidential and will be used only for the purpose of compiling statistics, as required by the Statistics Ordinance. The time and kind cooperation of all those selected to take part is highly valued and appreciated.
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SHG
28 July 2023