Survey of Family Expenditures (Famex)

Detailed information for 1996

This survey was conducted to provide the socio-economic living conditions of households in Canada. The information was used to provide major data components needed for the production of the weights used in the compilation of the Consumer Price Index.

Data release - July 28, 1998

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology

Description

Note: The Survey of Family Expenditures (Famex) has been integrated into the Survey of Household Spending (record number 3508) as of 1997.

This survey is conducted to provide the socio-economic living conditions of households in Canada. The information is used to provide major data components needed for the production of the weights used in the compilation of the Consumer Price Index.

Subjects

• Families, households and housing
• Household characteristics
• Household spending and savings
• Housing and dwelling characteristics
• Income, pensions, spending and wealth

Data sources and methodology

Sampling

This is a sample survey with a cross-sectional design.

Sample Design - Labour Force Survey (LFS) (SDDS ID 3701) design modified. Sample constraints: Total sample size and minimal samples by geographical strata. Data Collection - Interviewer is required to list all members of the household. The interviewer then completes an expenditure record for each household, recording the information on a detailed schedule (FEX 2). Information is sought covering the entire budget: expenditures, incomes and changes in assets and debts. Schedules used to compile estimates must balance disbursements with receipts to within 10%. Some borderline records are also accepted upon review. Imputation is done for missing values.

Error detection

Editing is carried out in several stages. The preliminary edit in the field is designed mainly for completeness, so that if necessary, a schedule could be returned for further information. After data capture in the regional office computer edits were performed and failures were resolved by persons in the regional office. The data records were then sent electronically to head office. In the head office addition edits were performed along with imputations for missing or inconsistant data. Records where receipts and exceeded 20% were rejected. Published data are accompanied by estimated sampling errors for main items. Response errors are difficult to establish. Estimates can to some extent be compared with aggregate data from say Personal Expenditure (National Accounts) but there are conceptual and coverage differences. (See catalogue no. 62-555.)

Estimation

Each usable record is weighted by a weighting factor that reflects the sample design and incorporates the inverse of the sampling ratio (which varies significantly by geographic area) and the response rate, among other things. Further information on the weighting procedure is given in the publications.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

In order to prevent any data disclosure, confidentiality analysis is done using the Statistics Canada Generalized Disclosure Control System (G-Confid). G-Confid is used for primary suppression (direct disclosure) as well as for secondary suppression (residual disclosure). Direct disclosure occurs when the value in a tabulation cell is composed of or dominated by few enterprises while residual disclosure occurs when confidential information can be derived indirectly by piecing together information from different sources or data series.