SINGAPORE - An ongoing survey to collect data on household income and expenditure will move on to a new batch of selected households in estates from Bukit Merah to Sengkang this month and next month, starting on Tuesday (Jan 16).

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

Some of the households can complete their survey online from Tuesday (Jan 16), while others can do so from Jan 30. 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 on Tuesday.

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 last year.

It will involve 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).