Household Income and Expenditure Survey is one of the household sample field surveys conducted in the field of social statistics and provides data on income and expenditure patterns in society and the impact of demographic, social and economic factors on households.

    Objectives :

• Identify expenditure patterns in society and the impact of demographic, social and economic changes.

• Provide data on the income and expenditure of households according to their demographic and housing characteristics.

• Calculate the average annual income of the household and the individual and indicate its relationship to economic and social factors.
• Distribution of individuals and households according to income and expenditure categories.
• Identify the change in expenditure associated with the relative change in income.
• Provide detailed data on income and expenditure for the purpose of calculating poverty indicators.
• Provide data on the relative importance of goods in the consumer basket, which are used in preparing the cost-of-living index.
• Provide the necessary data for national accounts related to final consumption and income of the household sector.
• Support projects related to household income and expenditure (for example: social assistance, social development, household affairs) and any projects related to households.
• Prepare social indicators (SDGs indicators, human development indicators, and other international indicators).

Household Income:

The total cash and in-kind income collected from the incomes of all household members, male and female (regardless of age), from which the household can spend on various expenditures or save it.

Include:

• Salaries and wages.

• Freelance work income.

• Rental income.

• Property income.

• Other income from transfers.

Household expenditure:

The value of what all household members spend during the reference period in exchange for (consumptive and non-consumptive goods and services), whether this expenditure is related to the household, for example, expenditure on food, housing, electricity, or the acquisition of durable goods, or what is related to the expenditures of its members such as expenditure on clothes or personal items, and so on.

Consumption expenditure :

Household expenditure after excluding non-consumer expenditure such as expenditure on purchasing buildings and land, mortgage installments, marriage dowry, advances and gifts given to others, dependents’ transfers, and others.

What does household income and expenditure survey measure?

The household income and expenditure survey aims to measure the types of household income and expenditure in Saudi Arabia, and identify the impact of demographic, social and economic changes.

What does the point of purchase mean?

Place or type of establishment from which the household usually purchases food, durable and non-durable goods.

If the household consumed a meal prepared outside of the home/dwelling, where is the value of expenditure recorded?

Food prepared outside of the home/dwelling. All expenditures are recorded on food prepared outside of the home/dwelling.

Why is the time reference not unified in aspects of expenditure (daily, monthly, 3 months, and 12 months)?

Because expenditure on some goods is daily, and on other goods is monthly, annually, quarterly, or semi-annual, according to the household consumption of goods or services.

In expenditure outside of the home/dwelling, what does “expenditure in places where services are provided by limited and self-service facilities” mean?

It means that the individual spent the amount in places that provide limited service or self-service, without waiter service or seating. Examples include self-service restaurants, food stalls, fast food carts, etc.

What is the difference between the rent of agricultural land and dry land?

Agricultural land is the land used for agricultural products, livestock, or plants, while dry land is the land that is rented for investment and exploitation of its natural resources (such as groundwater).

Are the questionnaire data completed from one household visit?

The questionnaire cannot be completed from a single visit, rather it is completed over several visits, due to the difference in the time reference for the questionnaire, which is 14 days from the first visit to the household.

How to answer the economic activity question if the economic activity is not available in the drop-down list?

The economic activity is selected according to the main activity practiced by the entity the individual works at.

What does the household income include?

The total cash and in-kind income collected from the incomes of all household members, male and female (regardless of age), from which the household can spend on various expenditures or save it.

Sources of income:

work income: Salaries and wages (cash and in-kind), and freelance work income.

Non-work income: Real estate rental, property income, transfers, or other sources of income.

What does total net income mean?

Net income is the value of total output minus operating costs. Profits are achieved when the proceeds are greater than operating expenses, while the loss occurs when the operating expenses are greater than the proceeds, and the value of net income is during the past 12 months.

What is a monthly wage? 

A wage that a person receives in return for his work on a monthly basis. It is the main source of income for the household, and is recorded monthly.

What is the additional source of income?

Other financial incomes that are derived from activities other than job, such as: (rents, ownership, and transfers) and are recorded annually.

What does it mean by durable goods owned by the household?

Basic commodities that the household owns, which are necessary to achieve its well-being. They can be used for a long period of time, such as (TV, refrigerator, and washing machine).

What is meant by household daily food consumption expenditure?

The value of the daily food commodities bought by households. The value of the purchased commodities and their quantity are recorded according to the unit of measurement (for example, when buying a kilo of vegetables, the purchase value and the unit of measurement must be recorded).

What does public spending mean?

It is what the household spends on buying non-food items such as: (detergents, clothes, and medicines).

What do we mean by purchase points in the household income and expenditure survey’s questionnaire?

Centers or shops for buying necessities needed by the household such as food, commodities, and the like.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is a government entity with an independent legal personality. It is the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating the statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  It provides statistical products in social, economic, and environmental fields to support policymakers and decision-makers in advancing the implementation of development plans.

You can contact us by clicking on contact us link in our website, or send an email to: info@stats.gov.sa 

Date of last update:

The last update on the privacy notice was made on (14-2-2024 M). 

What is personal data?

Any data, regardless of its source or form, that may lead to identifying an individual specifically, or that may directly or indirectly make it possible to identify an individual, including name, personal identification number, addresses, contact numbers, bank and credit card numbers, photos, and videos of an individual, and any other data of personal nature.

What personal data is collected?

Various types of personal data and information is collected, which cover all aspects of life in the Kingdom: (demographic, social, economic, environmental, and cultural), including but not limited to:

Full name, age/date of birth, sex, address, contact information (e.g.: email address and phone numbers), ID number, marital status, current job information, previous job information, information about dependents/spouse/household.

How is personal data collected and what is the purpose?

Personal data is collected and obtained "directly or indirectly", using various methods, which include:

- Direct methods of obtaining personal data:

- Field visit to the household or establishment by GASTAT’s staff or one of its representatives. 

- Phone call by GASTAT’s staff through the unified phone number:920020081.

- Self-completion on GASTAT’s website.

Indirect methods of obtaining personal data:

Collect cookies and data on how you use our site, including your visit date and time, and the type of browser you use.

By collecting data, GASTAT aims to produce official statistics that serve the public interest, i.e., any personal data collected, whether it belongs to the individual, or on behalf of another individual, will be used for statistical purposes and the production of official statistics.

 How do we use your personal data?

We use personal data collected directly or indirectly to produce official statistics that serve the public interest, and support policymakers and decision makers in advancing the implementation of development plans. GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating the statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  

How do we share your personal data?

Your personal information won't be given to any third party for the purpose of direct marketing. We are also dedicated to protecting the confidentiality of all Saudi Arabia’s resident data, and not disclosing it. GASTAT abides by the participation guidelines that the regulators have approved. We also pledge to enforce the laws governing data confidentiality, non-disclosure, and personal data protection vigorously and strictly.

The legal basis for collecting and processing personal data:

According to the policy of personal data protection issued by the National Data Management Office, the legal basis for collecting and processing personal data is: 

- our explicit consent, and you can withdraw your consent at any time except for some exceptions explained above, and to do so you can contact the Data Governance Department.

- Legal Obligation: The regulations and bylaws in force - including Royal and High Orders - are a legal basis on which GASTAT can rely if the collection and processing of personal data is necessary to comply with these statutory requirements.

- Public Interest: Statistics collected from personal data aim to support policymakers, and decision makers to advance the implementation of Saudi Arabia's development plans.

How do we store your personal data?

Your personal data is stored securely in the technical assets of GASTAT in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Your personal data is kept for a specified period, after which we dispose of this data securely so that it cannot be accessed or restored again, based on GASTAT’s data preservation and destruction policy.

Rights of personal data owner:

Under the personal data policy, you have the following rights, which depend primarily on the purpose of collecting and processing personal data:

- Right to access personal data: you have the right to request a copy of your personal data, such data will be provided to you within seven working days via email DPO@stats.gov.sa. 

- Right to dispose personal data: you have the right to request the disposal of your personal data in certain circumstances that do not contradict with the legal basis based on which data was collected.

- Right to restrict data processing: you can restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances and for specific period of time.

- Right to object to processing: you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data that is not inconsistent with the legal basis.

- Right to transfer your personal data: you have the right to ask us to transfer your personal data - collected directly from you - to another party, or to deliver it to you for a fee. This right cannot be exercised if your consent is the legal basis for processing.

Except as otherwise specified, you are not required to pay any fees for exercising these rights, and in the event that a request is made to exercise one of these rights, you will be responded to within (7 days) from the request date.

Furthermore, it should be stressed here that some of these rights (the right to data disposal, the right to data transfer, and the right to object to processing) are not absolute rights but rather depend on the primary purpose and the legal basis mentioned earlier. Other than that, they are regarded as absolute rights.

For more details about the processing of your personal data and how to exercise your rights, you can contact the Data Protection Officer at GASTAT using the contact information provided below:

Email: DPO@stats.gov.sa 

Except as stipulated, you are not required to pay any fee for the exercise of these rights, and if an application is made to exercise one of these rights you will be answered within (7 days) of the date of application.

It must also be emphasized here that some of these rights (the right to destroy data, the right to transmit data, the right to object to processing) are not absolute rights, but rather depend on the main purpose and statutory basis referred to earlier, and otherwise are absolute rights.

For more details about the processing of your personal data and how to exercise your rights, you can contact the Authority's Personal Data Protection Officer according to the contact data below:

Email: DPO@stats.gov.sa

How to submit a complaint?

If you have any complaints or issues regarding our adherence to the National Data Management Office's policy regarding the protection of personal data, you can contact the Data Governance Department via email at info@stats.gov.sa. 

You can email the GASTAT’s Data Governance Department at DPO@stats.gov.sa  to file a complaint if you are dissatisfied with how we handled your complaint or if we did not reply to you within three working days.

If GASTAT’s Data Governance Department does not resolve your complaint within 7 days, you may also file a complaint with the National Data Management Office about how we use your personal data.

Address of National Data Management Office:

 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.

Website: Complaints (sdaia.gov.sa) 

Data collection date for Household Income and Expenditure Survey :

Start: 20/03/2023 - 28/08/1444 H
End:  26/02/2024 - 17/08/1445 H

https://fesurvey.stats.gov.sa/family

Your information today is the development of tomorrow.