AN awareness session to highlight the 2024 Household Income and Expenditure Survey was held at the Indian Club Bahrain.
The survey, conducted by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), aims to engage about 6,000 randomly selected families from all municipalities in Bahrain.
It will help gauge living standards, spending habits and how demographic, social and economic factors impact families.
In addition, it will assist decision-makers understand household expenditures on goods, identify the most commonly used goods and services contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP), and observe the price changes of these goods, which reflect inflation rates and directly influence bank interest rates.
Officials from iGA attended the event as part of their awareness campaign to familiarise the public with the survey’s objectives and process, promote community engagement related to the survey.
The survey, which started in January this year, will continue until December 31.
The officials at the meeting explained the mechanism for collecting and analysing data gathered electronically.
The forms cover housing characteristics, income sources, expenditures on durable goods and services, and a daily expense record, which families will fill out directly via an electronic link or paper form.
“This contributes to guiding policy and decision-making, and consequently developing government plans and programmes across economic, social and environmental sectors,” said a statement yesterday.
The session was attended by teams from the iGA Communication and Marketing, and Statistics and Population Directorates, along with the club management and members.
The iGA has assembled a team of 35 field researchers who were meticulously chosen based on a specific criteria.
The researchers will visit participating households after contacting them via the dedicated call centre number, 17878070.
An authorised researcher will conduct interviews and complete questionnaires through at least four visits per month to each family.
Collected data will be published in aggregates, ensuring the highest levels of privacy and confidentiality.
The iGA has been conducting this survey since 1974-1975, with the fifth one was carried out in 2014-2015.
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