Household Economy
Book 2: Household Economy
Book 2 was answered by the household head or other person knowledgeable about household affairs. Household characteristics. Module KR included questions about the physical infrastructure of the
household and participation in certain programs, especially public social safety net programs. Family farm and nonfarm businesses. Modules UT and NT focused on household revenues, expenses,
and value of assets of household-owned agricultural and nonagricultural businesses. Both UT and NT were redesigned for IFLS4. In Section UT we asked about details of rice production. We ask the number of rice crops grown in a year on rice land and asked about each of the rice crops: area, production of paddy and production of milled rice equivalent. We also asked prices and values of production. Comparing milled rice production with rice consumption in Section KS will provide an estimate of net rice production. We also began using unfolding brackets to elicit net income from UT in the cases in which the farmer was not sure. Unfolding brackets have become commonly used in many advanced surveys. They have proven to cut answers of don’t know. We started with a bracket that is based on information and value of assets of household-owned agricultural and nonagricultural businesses. Both UT and NT were redesigned for IFLS4. In Section UT we asked about details of rice production. We ask the number of rice crops grown in a year on rice land and asked about each of the rice crops: area, production of paddy and production of milled rice equivalent. We also asked prices and values of production. Comparing milled rice production with rice consumption in Section KS will provide an estimate of net rice production. We also began using unfolding brackets to elicit net income from UT in the cases in which the farmer was not sure. Unfolding brackets have become commonly used in many advanced surveys. They have proven to cut answers of don’t know. We started with a bracket that is based on information
Book NT had changes made to it as well. Of particular importance is the addition of three new questions trying to elicit firm net income. In addition to the previously used question on net profits, we added questions on the value of production used for household consumption, the value of business net income used on household expenditures and the amount of cash left over. The sum of these three can be used as an estimate of net profits of the business, in addition to the direct question (see Lisa Daniels, 2001, “Testing alternative measures of microenterprise profits and net worth,” Journal of International Development, 13:599-614. .We also add unfolding brackets to NT to elicit net profits when they are not known. .
Avian Flu This new section focused on the holdings of chickens, ducks and other poultry and birds susceptible to avian flu. We also asked about deaths of birds in the last 12 months and the cause. Finally we asked about who in the household takes care of the birds, if anyone, and the amounts of time spent doing so.
Household non-business assets. Module HR asked about the current value of household non-business assets (e.g., housing land, livestock, jewelry), as well as ownership shares. Unfolding brackets were introduced in IFLS4.
Household non-labor income. Module HI asked about household-level nonlabor income, by source. Natural Disasters This section was new in 2007 and asked in detail about separate types of natural
disasters in the past 5 years and their consequences. We asked about earthquakes, tsunami, floods, muslides, as well as civil violence. We asked about losses from the disasters such as assets destroyed and expenses on medical injuries and funerals, whether household members had to move in response and if so to which type of housing facility. We also asked about assistance the household received and the source.
Borrowing history. BH was a new module in Book 3B in IFLS3 and was moved to Book 2 in IFLS4. This means that now BH is asked at the household level instead of the individual level. This was done to save time. The structure was kept as in 2000, but the details were asked about the largest loan anyone in the household took in the last year.