UAE to conduct well-being survey of 20,000 households in 2019

The survey will involve more than 20,000 households in the UAE, she said, and will be the largest socioeconomic statistical project to date in the country.

“We recognise the importance of this survey because it provides data and statistics that are an accurate reflection of the income and expenditure levels at a household level in the country,” Buhumaid said.

The survey will begin in January 2019 and will take a year to complete with support of 350 field researchers.

About 8,784 families in Abu Dhabi will be part of the survey and 3,816 families in Dubai and 2,304 families in Sharjah.

The survey will measure community’s well-being levels through identifying household income and expenditure patterns.

Hessa said that it will be the most important survey ever taken in the UAE as it will provide updated and correct data to help decision makers shape future plans.

The survey will help extract more than 65 indicators such as the basket of goods and services, consumer price indices, cost of living index, and price indices to help assess the level, direction and structure of the economic well-being of families.

She stressed that UAE’s decision makers will be able to utilise the data produced by the survey to design, launch and implement various impactful social and economic programmes aimed at improving all aspects of life for individuals and families such as housing, education and health; reiterating the UAE’s status as a destination for happiness and prosperity.

She said that the field work will be distributed across the seven emirates.

“The UAE family has been, and will remain, the focus of the Ministry of Community Development and all government agencies,” she said.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Nasser Lootah, director General of (FCSA), said that all national statistical centres in the UAE will work together to implement the survey.

“This survey is regarded as one of the most important statistical projects because of the type of data it produces. Data that is crucial for any decision makers who is seeking to develop strategic plans and initiatives that can positivity impact the lives of families in the UAE,” Lootah said.

The 20,000 households will be chosen based on a scientific statistical framework that guarantees the reliability, accuracy and representation.

“Our researchers will go to the family’s residence four times per a month to fill the survey forum to know the spending trend of a family. It will take one hour per visit in both Arabic or English languages,” Lootah said.

The survey will provide accurate information on the demographic, social and economic characteristics on the components of society, including gender, age, nationality, educational level, marital status, labour force, occupation, economic activity, employment status and others.

The survey will help to update the base years of statistical indicators, such as inflation rates, as the periodicity of survey implementation extends to five years, providing seasonal coverage of household income and expenditure rates.

All field teams attended intensive training and are equipped with latest advanced field tools and methodologies such as geo-spatial positioning systems, mobile applications on hand-held devices, and other advanced techniques and modern statistical methods to ensure accuracy and quality of results.

The statistics authority said the survey is the second to be conducted in the UAE.

The authority stressed that all information and individual data, collected or stored by the centre or government authorities, in relation to any survey or census, shall be deemed confidential. Neither FCSA nor any of its employees may disclose any such information and data to any person or public/private entity.