The HES collects detailed information on the latest expenditure of individuals and households in Singapore. Data on demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well as ownership of consumer durables are also collected.

The first HES, which covered only the urban area in Singapore, was carried out in 1956/57. The second HES, which covered the whole of Singapore, was conducted in 1972/73 and once every five years ever since. HES 2007/08 will be the ninth such survey to be carried out by the Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS).

One of the main objectives of conducting the HES is to update the weighting pattern and the basket of goods and services for the compilation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The CPI measures the price changes of a fixed basket of selected consumer goods and services commonly purchased by Singaporean households.  It is commonly used as one of the indicators of inflation in Singapore.  Trade unions and employers often use the CPI in wage negotiations and salary adjustments.

As consumers’ lifestyle and spending habits change over time, the weighting pattern (relative importance of item) of the CPI needs to be reviewed periodically to reflect up-to-date spending pattern. 

Data collected would also be used by government agencies and private sector organizations for analysis of household consumption expenditure patterns and changes in the last five years.  The report for the previous survey conducted in 2002/03 is available in DOS’s website for free downloading.

The survey is carried out over a period of one year, from October 2007 to September 2008 to cover all festive seasons.

For the HES 2007/08, some 11,000 housing units are selected throughout Singapore. These units are divided into 26 batches, each to be surveyed over 2 weeks, or 14 days.

During the survey period, interviewers from DOS would visit the selected households to assist them in their recordings and to collect additional information on the households’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as ownership of consumer durables. Household members aged 14 years and over are required to record their daily and regular expenditure in specially designed diaries  for 14 days.

All household members aged 14 years and over are required to record their daily and regular expenses in specially designed expenditure diaries for 14 days. Major but less frequent household purchases and expenses will be collected by interviewers through face-to-face interviews with adult representative members.

Information collected in the HES is published for use by private businesses and members of the public.  Findings from the last HES 2002/03 are available in DOS’s website. The hardcopy publication is also available for sale at SNP Corporation Ltd.

Households covered in the HES are selected using established sampling method to ensure representativeness of the sample. Each household’s participation in the HES is crucial to ensure that representative data are collected.

A sample of 11,000 dwelling units is selected based on DOS's standard sampling methodology which is a two-stage stratified design. The primary sampling units for the first stage consist of Sampling Divisions (SD), which are geographical locations based on planning areas used by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore.  The dwelling units are the sampling units in the second stage of selection. This sample design ensures that the selected sample is of equal probability and self-weighting. The selected sample is also representative of the national dwelling type distribution.

The information collected from individual respondents is safeguarded by the Statistics Act (Chapter 317) and kept in the strictest confidence.

Data collected will only be used to compile statistics and published at an aggregated level.  Information relating to individual returns will not be disclosed.

The Singapore Department of Statistics, Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for the management and conduct of HES 2007/08.

Households covered in the HES are selected using established sampling method to ensure representativeness of the sample. Each household’s participation in the HES is crucial to ensure that representative data are collected.

The HES 2007/08 is conducted under the Statistics Act (Chapter 317). All selected households are required to provide the necessary information for the survey. Our Department values and seeks the respondents’ understanding and cooperation in participating in the HES.

The survey for each household is conducted over a 2-week period. All household members aged 14 and over are required to record their daily and regular expenses in specially designed expenditure diaries for 14 days.

Besides the expenditure recording, there are specific questions that will be asked of the households. Depending on the number of persons in the households, the average time taken to complete the entire questionnaire is about 30 minutes to an hour. The questionnaire may be completed over a few visits.