The Family Expenditure Survey (FES) is a voluntary survey of a random sample of private households in the United Kingdom carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The FES is primarily a survey of household expenditure on goods and services, and household income. The original purpose of the survey was to provide information on spending patterns for the Retail Price Index. Over the years the range of uses has grown and the survey is now multi-purpose. It provides an invaluable supply of economic and social data to central government, to other public and commercial organisations and to researchers in universities and independent research institutions.
The basic unit of the survey is the household and in 2000-2001, 6637 households took part in the FES. The response rate was 59% in Great Britain and 56% in Northern Ireland.
Data is collected throughout the year to cover seasonal variations in expenditures. In addition to expenditure and income data, the FES collects information on socio-economic characteristics of the households, e.g. composition, size, social class, occupation and age of the head of household.
The survey has been conducted annually since 1957. In 1994, the survey reference period changed from the calendar year to a financial-year basis (April to the following March). Results are published approximately eight months after the end of the reference period.
Sponsor:
Office for National Statistics
Contractor:
Social Survey Division - Office for National Statistics
Size of data collection:
Approx 6,500 households each year
Linked surveys/sources:
The Northern Ireland Family Expenditure Survey
Family Resources Survey (FRS) - conducted by the Department of Social Security (DSS)
National Food Survey (NFS) - conducted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Method:
Household/Person (Sample) Survey
Status:
Ongoing
Frequency of collection or compilation:
Continuously
Reference period:
Financial Year (April - March)
Timeliness:
Annual database and publication of results are usually available about 8 months after the end of the survey year.
Year data first available:
1957
Year of latest available data:
2000-2001
History of data collection / breaks and discontinuities:
The Family Expenditure Survey has been in operation since 1957 and up to and including 1993, data is available by calendar year. From 1994-1995 data is available by financial year (April - March).
Main areas for which data is collected:
National: UK Great Britain England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
SubNational or Other: Government Office Regions in England
Extent of geographical coverage:
Sampled
Spatial units of data collection:
Unit postcode Postcode sector
Smallest spatial unit for which data are made available:
Government Office Region (GOR) Standard Statistical Regions (SSR)
Commonly available units for which aggregate data are made available:
Government Office Region (GOR)
Standard geographical classification or coding systems used:
Government Office Regions
Descriptive summary of geographical coverage and geographic referencing system:
The FES covers the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland)
The fieldwork is carried out by the Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics in Great Britain and by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency of the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland using almost identical questionnaires.
Each individual in the household visited aged 16 or over is asked to keep diary records of daily expenditure for two weeks. Information about regular expenditure, such as rent and mortgage payments, is obtained from a household interview along with retrospective information on certain large, infrequent expenditures such as those on vehicles.
Main historical changes in methodolgy and other breaks/discontinuities:
Data from the expenditure diaries kept by children aged 7 to 17 were included in the survey results for the first time in 1998-99.
In 1992, imputed rent for owner occupiers and households in rent-free accomodation was discontinued. Before 1992, it formed part of income, though was shown separately so that it can be taken out.
The definition of a household was changed to the harmonised definition in April 2000.
A number of improvements were made to the questionaire and diary as a result of development work for the new Expenditure and Food Survey, see Family spending Appendix E for more details.
Statistical procedures applied to data:
Details of validation and editing:
Imputation process:
Outlier detection and treatment:
Estimation method:
Seasonal adjustment or trend estimation technique:
Status of data:
Data published annually is final.
Developments in the pipeline:
Current year:
Following year:
Subsequent year:
The new Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) was launched in April 2001. This replaces the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) and the National Food Survey (NFS). Results for the first year are expected to be available towards the end of 2002. This will include the introduction of COICOP.
From April 2001 expenditure will be coded to a new set of codes, called EFS codes, based on the European standard Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose, or COICOP. The EFS codes sub-divide the lowest level of COICOP codes where it is necessary to provide a good mapping to the current FES codes. The report on the 2001-02 survey will be based on COICOP but will include an analysis of the effect of the change.
The FES sample for Great Britain is drawn from the Small Users file of the Postcode Address File - the Post Office's list of addresses.
The Northern Ireland sample is drawn as a random sample of addresses from the Valuation and Lands Agency list.
Design/selection of sample:
672 postal sectors in Great Britain are randomly selected during the year after being arranged in strata defined by Government Office regions (sub-divided into metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas) and two 1991 Census variables - socio-economic group and ownership of cars.
Quality Measurement:
Published report gives standard errors and comments on representativeness and completeness of coverage.
