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Household Budget Survey

Statistics Finland’s Household Budget Survey produces data on changes in households’ consumption expenditure and on differences in consumption by population group. The Survey also studies households’ housing conditions, possession of durable goods, the benefit gained from the use of social services and income. The survey is a sample survey for which the data are collected with face-to-face and telephone interviews, from diaries completed by households, from receipt information and from administrative registry data.

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It is very important that each household that has been selected for the survey takes part in it, as no respondent household can in any way be replaced with another respondent. Refusal to participate in the survey means that sufficiently accurate information on the opinions and
affairs of households in a similar life situation cannot be collected, which means that the representativeness of the households in the statistics weakens.

In the actual Household Budget Survey, participation of each household in the survey is extremely important in order for the published statistics to provide a correct picture of the
consumption, income and living conditions of Finnish households.

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This is how to respond

The monitoring period of household consumption: instructions for using the application

The monitoring includes collection of receipts and marking of purchases without receipts by means of an application downloaded on the phone or a paper notebook and a receipt bag. The time of the 14-day monitoring period is agreed in the preliminary interview.

Using the application:
  • Download the Household Budget Survey application to your smartphone or tablet according to the instructions provided by your statistical interviewer.
    • ⁠You can find the application in app stores by searching for “Kulutustutkimus”.
    • ⁠The application is published by Statistics Finland
  • Log in to the application using the login code sent by your statistical interviewer.
    • ⁠All members of your household use the same login code so that the data you provide can be combined at Statistics Finland to form an overall picture of your household’s consumption.
    • Please note: The application view is device-specific. You cannot see purchases entered on other household members’ devices. This ensures the privacy of all participants.
    • ⁠You do not need to log out between uses.
  • You can record purchases daily or less frequently, according to your situation. Everything you need is available on the application’s front page.
    • ⁠Your tracking period shows the dates agreed with your statistical interviewer for collecting receipts.
    • ⁠From the Save your receipt section, choose the most suitable method for each purchase:
      • Add image: Take a photo of the receipt by allowing the app to use your device’s camera, or select a previously taken photo from your gallery.
      • ⁠Enter manually: For purchases without a receipt, enter the store, product, and price.
      • ⁠Add PDF: Upload an electronic receipt in PDF format from your device files.
  • Please do not include personal contact details or sensitive health information with your purchase data.
    • ⁠For example, if your name appears on an online store receipt, you can enter the purchase manually instead of photographing the receipt.
    • ⁠For medicine purchases, you can enter “prescription medicine” or “over-the-counter medicine” without specifying the product name.
  • The monitoring period is primarily carried out by collecting and photographing purchase receipts. You can do this by pressing Add image and selecting Take photo.
    • ⁠Place the receipt straight against a uniform dark background.
    • ⁠Ensure good lighting and take the photo directly from above.
    • ⁠Make sure the products and total sum are visible before taking the photo.
      • ⁠If the receipt is too long for a clear photo, you can take it in several parts: First, photograph the top section, then press the large plus button next to the image and continue until the last photo shows the total sum.
    • ⁠If you cannot take a photo of the receipt directly through the application, you can take a regular photo of the receipt and upload it from your device’s photo gallery. To do this, first press Add image and then choose Select from device.
    • ⁠Finally, fill in the requested details about the store, check the total sum, and approve the receipt.
      • ⁠Selecting the type of purchase place: For shops and service providers (e.g., grocery and clothing stores, hairdressers, cobblers, massage therapists), select Store or online shop. For restaurant and café purchases, choose the most appropriate restaurant type. For purchases not fitting these categories, select Other place of purchase.
  • If your household makes purchases during the monitoring period without receiving a receipt, press Enter manually.
    • ⁠Enter the store, purchase, and price, and select the type of purchase place.
  • Electronic receipts in PDF format can be added by first saving them to your device, then pressing the Add PDF button, selecting the desired file, and entering the requested purchase details.
  • After the receipt collection period ends, confirm that your household’s data has been submitted.
    • ⁠Open the app once more, add any missing purchases, and ensure all household members have entered their data.
    • ⁠Then select End collection from the menu that appears automatically when you open the app.
    • ⁠After pressing the button, the data will be sent to Statistics Finland, and you can no longer add or delete purchase information.
  • If you have difficulties, you can always contact your statistical interviewer or the Household Budget Survey researchers directly: kulutus.tilastokeskus@stat.fi.

How were the respondents selected?

Households for the sample of the Household Budget Survey are drawn at random from Statistics Finland's database on the population of Finland. Those selected to the survey can be anyone aged 15 or over resident in Finland, except for those living at institutions.

How is the survey made?

The Household Budget Survey starts with a short preliminary interview. After that, the respondent chooses whether to continue responding on the telephone or via web. The duration of responding varies from half an hour to good one hour, depending on the size of the household.

In addition, households collect receipts from their purchases of daily consumer goods or record their purchases in Household Budget Survey's notebook or application for 14 days. The households are spread across the whole survey year in order to obtain information on seasonal variation in consumption.

What is asked?

The questions of the Household Budget Survey mainly concern the purchases made and services used by the household and their prices over the past 12 months. In addition, information is asked on housing and housing costs, for example.

Purchases of daily consumer goods account for around one-half of households' consumption. Data on their purchases are obtained when households collect all receipts for their purchases for 14 days.

If there is no receipt for a particular purchase, the household records the purchase in Household Budget Survey's notebook or application. If the household doesn't use the application to collect their consumption data receipts and notebooks are sent to Statistics Finland by mail.

How will Statistics Finland contact you?

In the Household Budget Survey, Statistics Finland's interviewer sends the person selected for the survey a letter containing information about the survey and saying that the interviewer will contact the person by telephone in the near future.

If the phone number of the person selected for the survey or of his/her other household members cannot be found, the household is informed by letter that no telephone number was found. When receiving such a letter, the respondent can contact the interviewer personally and agree on an interview.

Who answers the questions?

The letter is addressed to the member of the household that has been selected for the sample but any household member who knows the household's purchases and finances well can answer the questions instead. This is the case particularly when the person selected for the survey is underage.

All household members can take part in responding, so that remembering the household's purchases becomes more reliable.

Why is it important to participate in the survey?

It is very important that each household that has been selected for the survey takes part in it, as no respondent household can in any way be replaced with another respondent.

Refusal to participate in the survey means that sufficiently accurate information on the opinions and affairs of households in a similar life situation cannot be collected, which means that the representativeness of the households in the statistics weakens.

In the actual Household Budget Survey, participation of each household in the survey is extremely important in order for the published statistics to provide a correct picture of the consumption, income and living conditions of Finnish households.

Do you need help?

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Data protection, rights and obligations

All data collected for statistical purposes are confidential. When processing data, it is seen to that no person's privacy or business or professional secret are endangered. Every person employed by Statistics Finland has signed a pledge of secrecy.