1. Characteristics of the Data Required in the Cross-Sectional Component

/ EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROSTAT
Directorate E: Social and regional statistics and geographical information system /
Doc. Eurostat/E0/01/DSS/3/1/EN
Table Document
document for item 2 of the agenda
“community statistics on income and living conditions (eu-silc)
list of variables”
annual meeting of the european directors of social statistics
luxembourg, 11-12 june 2001
bech building, room “ampère”, starting at 10.00 a.m.

Characteristics of the data required in EU-SILC

1. characteristics of the data required in the cross-sectional component

In the cross-sectional component, the data (target variables) to be collected is classified into three groups:

1.1 The detailed data to be collected on an annual basis (household data and data relating to household members aged 16 and more);

1.2 The restricted core data to be collected on an annual basis relating to household members aged less than 16, former household members and non-responding households;

1.3 Ad-hoc modules.

2. Characteristics of the data required in the longitudinal component

2.1 The detailed data to be collected on an annual basis (household data and data relating to household members aged 16 and more);

2.2 The restricted core data to be collected on an annual basis relating to household members aged less than 16, former household members and non-responding households;

1.1 The detailed data to be collected on an annual basis (household data and data relating to household members aged 16 and more)

Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables /
Household / Basic data / Basic data / current /

Line number of person(s) responsible for the accommodation

Region (NUTS 2 level)

Degree of urbanisation extracted from frame or from interviewer

Household cross-sectional weight

Primary strata

Primary sampling unit (PSU)

Order of selecting the PSU if systematic sampling

Number of minutes to complete the household questionnaire

Day of the interview for the household questionnaire

Month of the interview for the household questionnaire

Year of the interview for the household questionnaire

Household interview result

Income / Total household income (gross and net) / calendar year (N-1) / · Total Income (Gross)

Total Income (Net)

Social Exclusion / Housing-related loans and rent / current /

Current total repayment on mortgage(s) related to owned-occupied dwelling if any
If mortgages paid, whether amount of repayment already has any tax relief deducted

Current rent related to occupied dwelling if any

Current total repayment on other housing-related loans (repairs, extensions...)

· Existence or not of mortgage(s) related to other dwelling(s) if any
Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Household / Social Exclusion / Non housing-related loans / current /

Current total repayment on all consumer credits and other non-housing related loans or debts

Social Exclusion / Arrears / last twelve months /

Whether the household has been in arrears at any time in the last 12 months on mortgage or rent payments

· Whether the household has been in arrears at any time in the last 12 months on utility bills, such as electricity, water, gas

Whether the household has been in arrears at any time in the last 12 months on hire purchase instalments or other loan payments (non-housing related debts)

Social Exclusion / Non-monetary household deprivation indicators / current /

Capacity to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home
Capacity to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day
Capacity to afford buying new rather than second-hand clothes

· Total housing cost is a financial burden to the household
· Debts from hire purchases or loans other than mortgage or loan connected with the house are a financial burden to the household

Ability to make ends meet
Enforced lack of a telephone (including mobile phone)
Enforced lack of a colour TV
Enforced lack of a computer
Enforced lack of a washing machine
Enforced lack of a car
Lowest monthly income to make ends meet
Receipt of the following form of assistance for free by people (relatives or not) not living with the person (financial aid, health services, look after/assist children, help with fixing something in the accommodation)

Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Household / Social Exclusion / Physical and social environment / current /

Too much noise from neighbours
Pollution, grime or other environmental problems in the area
Crime, violence, vandalism, drugs or alcoholism in the area
Problems with the dwelling: too dark, not enough daylight
Problems with the dwelling: leaking roof, damp walls/floor/foundation, or rot in window frames or floor
Problems with the dwelling: noise from the street

Social Exclusion / Access to essential public and private services / current /

Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home doctor/medical center/emergency center (where applicable) is provided
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home pharmacy is provided
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home financial services (bank/cash machine, post office) are provided
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home food shop is provided
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home creche is provided
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home own children school is provided
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home public transport is provided
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with how near to the home police station is provided

Housing / Basic housing conditions / current /

Dwelling type
Tenure status
Number of rooms available to the household
Total housing costs (incompressible costs)

Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Household / Housing / Amenities in the dwelling / current /

Bath or shower
Indoor flushing toilet for sole use of household
Ability to keep home adequately warm

Personal (people aged 16+) / Basic data / Basic data / current /

Personal cross-sectional weight
Number of minutes to complete the personal questionnaire
Day of the interview for the personal questionnaire
Month of the interview for the personal questionnaire
Year of the interview for the personal questionnaire
Personal interview result

Basic data / Demographic data / current /

Month of birth
Year of birth
Sex
Marital status
Consensual union
Country of birth of respondent
Citizenship of respondent
Spouse line number
Father line number
Mother line number
Child 1 line number
Child 2 line number
Child 3 line number
Child 4 line number
Child 5 line number

Education / Education / current / (to be defined)
Education / Vocational training / last five years / (to be defined)
Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Personal (people aged 16+) / Education / Information and communication technology / current /

Frequency of use of a computer

· Main purpose of the use of a computer
· Services accessed when computer used for work purposes
· Services accessed when computer used for non-work purposes

Reason for never/no longer using a computer

Social Exclusion / Health and access to health care / current /

General Health
Presence of a chronic (long-standing) illness or condition
Limitation in daily activities
Real need to consult a specialist during past 12 months that could not be satisfied
Real need to consult a dentist during past 12 months that could not be satisfied
Reason for not having consulted specialist and/or dentist

Social Exclusion / Cultural and social participation / current /

Getting together with other people outside household to take part in leisure activities during past 3 months (up to 7 yes/no variables)
Main reason for never getting together during past 3 months
Frequency of getting together with relatives or friends at home or elsewhere
Solidarity for an unexpected (non financial) event from a friend not member of your household
Solidarity for an unexpected (non financial) event from a relative not member of your household

Labour / Child care / current / (to be defined)
Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Personal (people aged 16+) / Labour / Current economic status / current /

ILO classification of current economic status
Ways of looking for a job (if currently not working)
Self-defined current economic status
Status in employment (self-employed with employees, self-employed with no employees etc.)

· Reasons for working less than 30 hours per week. (30 hours in main and other jobs).
Labour / Characteristics of main regular paid job / current /

Occupation (ISCO-88 (COM) (2 digits))
Number of persons working at the local unit
Number of hours usually worked
High perceived risk of losing the job (be forced to leave) in the next 12 months.
Reasons for high perceived risk to be forced to leave
Managerial position
NACE (2 digits)

Labour / Second/other paid job(s) / current /

Total number of hours usually worked in second, third… jobs, if any

Labour / Activity history / Income reference period /

When did you start your first regular job?
How many years have you spent in paid work as an employee or self-employed?
Number of months spent at work, in unemployment, in inactivity in the income reference period

Income / Current usual hourly earnings for employees / current /

Hourly earnings (using best national method)

Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Personal (people aged 16+) / Income / Total gross personal income and main components / Calendar year (N-1)[1] / Employee Income (Gross)
· Monetary components
· Non monetary components (company car)
· Non monetary components (others)
· Employer’s social insurance contribution
Income from Self-employment (Gross)
· Profit/loss from unincorporated enterprise; royalties; income from rental of property other than land
· Effective imputed rent
· Imputed income from self-employment (goods produced for own consumption less costs of inputs)
Property Income (Gross)
· Interest, dividends, profits from capital investment in unincorporated business
· Rent from land
· Regular pensions from private schemes (other than those covered under ESSPROS)
Current Transfers Received (Gross)
Social Benefits (ESSPROS ‘Functional’ Categories)
· Unemployment Benefits
· Old-age benefits
· Survivors’ benefits
· Family-related allowances
· Sickness benefits
· Invalidity benefits

Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Personal (people aged 16+) / Income / Total gross personal income and main components (cont’d) / · Education-related allowances
· Social assistance (assigned individual amount if collected at household level)
· Housing allowances (assigned individual amount if collected at household level)
· Other benefits
Regular Inter-Household Cash Transfers Received
Current Transfers Paid (Gross)
· Employees’ social insurance contributions
· Taxes on income
· Regular inter-household cash transfers paid
Income / Latest employment-related transition (working, unemployed, retired) in previous 12 months. / Last 12 months /

Gross income immediately before transition (e.g. gross wages per month, gross unemployment benefit per month)

· Gross income immediately after.

1.2 The restricted data to be collected on an annual basis relating to household members aged less than 16, former household members and non-responding households

Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Personal (people less than 16) / Basic data / Demography / current / · Month of birth
· Year of birth
· Sex
· Residential status (currently living in the hh or temporarily living elsewhere)
· Basic activity status (at work; unemployed; retired; other inactive)
· Father line number
· Mother line number
· Spouse/partner line number
· Personal cross-sectional weight
Personal (former household members present for 3+ months between 1 January (N-1) and date of interview / Basic data / Demography / current / · Month of birth
· Year of birth
· Sex
· Basic activity status (at work, unemployed, retired, other inactive) corresponding to the majority of the time spent as household member in income reference period
· Main reason for leaving the household (e.g. set up new household, died)
· Number of months spent in household during income reference period
· Year when left the household
· Month when left the household
Non-responding households / Information on non-responding households shall be collected from the sampling frame, from registers or from the households themselves

1.3 Ad-hoc modules

The data to be collected every year from 2003 shall be completed by ad-hoc modules to investigate particular areas of policy interest in more detail to be included as from 2008. Every time a module is introduced, the overall list of target variables is to be looked at to limit burden on respondents.

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DATA REQUIRED IN THE LONGITUDINAL COMPONENT

2.1 The detailed data to be collected on an annual basis (household data and data relating to household members aged 16 and more);

Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Household / Social Exclusion / Non-monetary household deprivation indicators / Current / · Capacity to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home
· Capacity to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day
· Capacity to afford buying new rather than second-hand clothes
· Enforced lack to a telephone (including mobile phone)
· Enforced lack of a car
· Enforced lack of a colour TV
· Enforced lack of a washing machine
· Enforced lack of a computer
· Total housing cost is a financial burden to the household
· Debts from hire purchases or loans other than mortgage or loan connected with the house are a financial burden to the household
· Ability to make ends meet
· Lowest monthly income to make ends meet
Housing / Basic housing conditions / Current / · Problem with the dwelling: leaking roof, damp wall/floor/foundation, or rot in window frames or floor
· Tenure status
· Bath or shower in the accommodation
· Ability to keep home adequately warm
· Indoor flush toilet for sole use of household
· Number of rooms
Level of information / Domains / Areas / Reference Period / Target variables
Household / Social Exclusion / Physical and social environment / Current / · Problems of pollution, grime or other environment problem in the area