Friday 16 January 2015
The 2012-13 survey collected more information than ever before and the Report, contains a vast wealth of information in household income and expenditure. The report is freely available to download from .
The survey is conducted every 5-7 years and the results are used to update the "shopping basket", which is used to calculate inflation in Guernsey, to ensure the inflation indices reflect Islanders' spending patterns.
The States is seeking to have better quality data to further inform decision-making and understand the needs of service users and customers. The Survey, allied with the Rolling Electronic Census Project (which remains on schedule and on budget), will bring together many different types of data, so that it can be used for further analysis of, among many things:
- Economic indicators
- Social and demographic trends
- Housing patterns, for example owner occupation vs. the rental market
- Relative poverty and fuel poverty
- Potential impacts on Guernsey households of any proposed taxes or charges
The survey, then is much more than a tool for updating the RPI - it informs policy formulation across a wide range of areas, and is usable by other organisations and bodies (including the private sector) as well as the States.
Additional information was collected via the 2012-13 Survey so the presentation of the inflation indices could be aligned with international best practice. Expenditure information in the report is also presented (for the first time) using a system that enables comparisons with other jurisdictions. The updates and improvements to the inflation indices have been completed in parallel with the preparation of the Report, so the changes to the presentation of the details in the Quarterly Inflation Bulletin are included in the Bulletin published at 9:30am on 16th January (see ).
The Report itself presents average expenditures of households broken down by their tenure, income, composition and number of children.
The total average household expenditure in 2012-13 was £54,398 per year, which is 37% higher than the previous survey, seven years earlier (an average increase of 5% per year).
- There are many factors that impact on average expenditure e.g. changes in income, changes in people's spending patterns, price changes. The latter, which is measured by the inflation indices, accounted for approximately 25% of the total increase.
- The largest proportional increases attributable to changes in people's spending patterns were seen in the Leisure Services and Fares and Other Travel categories.
- The biggest increase in terms of pounds spent was seen in the Housing category.
- The total average income increased by 30% over the same time period i.e. expenditure has risen at a faster rate than income by seven percentage points (or 1 percentage point per year).
