New batch of estates for expenditure survey

An ongoing survey to collect data on household income and expenditure has moved on to a new batch of selected households in 15 estates, such as Bukit Merah and Sengkang, for this month and the next.

The other neighbourhoods involved are Bukit Panjang, Downtown Core, Hougang, Kallang, Orchard, Queenstown, Rochor, River Valley, Serangoon, Singapore River, Tampines, Tanglin and Yishun.

Households can complete the survey online. For residents who are unable to do so online, survey officers will visit their homes to conduct the survey. Notification letters have gone out to some of the households, and will be sent to the rest next week.

Data collected for the 11th Household Expenditure Survey (HES) will be used to facilitate studies on income and expenditure patterns, and in compiling the Consumer Price Index, said the Department of Statistics in a statement yesterday.

The survey, which is conducted once every five years, collects detailed information on households' expenditure, socio-economic characteristics, and ownership of consumer durables.

The latest survey was launched in October. It involves a total of 13,100 households in Singapore, divided into 26 groups.

The households will be covered progressively over the one-year period until September. The data will be kept confidential in accordance with the Statistics Act, said the Department of Statistics.

Survey officers will carry identification cards and letters of authorisation issued by the department and visit the selected households.

Those who wish to verify the identity of the survey officers may call the HES hotline on 1800-888-1718 from Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 10pm and on Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 10pm (excluding public holidays).

Raffaella Nathan Charles

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 17, 2018, with the headline New batch of estates for expenditure survey. Subscribe