Households Statistics
What does the survey entail?
Purpose
Households statistics provide information about the number and composition of private households in the Netherlands as at January 1. In addition, the statistics provide information about the number of people in private and institutional households as at January 1.
Target population
All private households and individuals in private and institutional households in the Netherlands.
Statistical unit
Households and individuals.
Date/year survey started
Data is available from 1995.
Frequency
Every year, final figures.
Publication strategy
The final figures of the current year are published on a yearly basis, at 1 January.
How is the survey conducted?
Survey type
Until 2010, the data used for households statistics was obtained by integrated data collection from the municipal population register combined with imputation using logistic regression models that were based on the Labour Force Survey. Since 2011, information from the Tax Administration of the Netherlands on tax partnerships and allowance partnerships has also been used, as well as information from municipalities on social security.
In order to define institutional households, data from the Dutch website ZorgkaartNederland.nl (to search for healthcare providers) is combined with data from the registration of people that contribute financially to Residential Care (Zorg met Verblijf) under the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act (AWBZ).
Data collection method
Data from municipal population registers is provided electronically by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Other register data is provided electronically by the Tax Administration of the Netherlands (Belastingdienst) and by municipalities (Personal Records Database, BRP).
Respondents
The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Tax Administration of the Netherlands (Belastingdienst) and municipalities.
Sample size
Not applicable.
Checking and correction methods
All data is based on previous years and checked for internal consistencies and completeness.
Households that could not be derived directly from register data are imputed using logistic regression models based on information provided by the Labour Force Survey.
Weighting
Not applicable.
Quality of the results
Accuracy
Household compositions that cannot be unequivocally derived from data collection through registers, are imputed using logistic regression models that are based on the Labour Force Survey.
Sequential comparability
In 2012, CBS requested municipalities for addresses of institutional households. Since 2014, data collection for institutional households has changed completely. At the start of 2014, there was a trend break in categorising private and institutional households:
- Since 2014, the data collection method of Institutional Households Statistics has been based on administrative sources. Research conducted in 2013 has shown that with these alternative sources, Institutional Households Statistics can be compiled more efficiently, while also providing better insight into quality. The majority of institutional households are found in care institutions. Locations of these facilities are mainly collected from data provided by the Dutch website ZorgkaartNederland.nl (to search for healthcare providers) in combination with data from the registration of people contributing financially to Residential Care (Zorg met Verblijf) under the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act (AWBZ). Locations of institutional households other than care institutions (such as convents and prisons) can be found using a limited number of other sources.
- With effect from statistical year 2014, individuals residing in asylum seekers' centres are considered to be part of the institutional population, if they are registered in the municipal population registers. It is relatively easy to determine the addresses of these centres.
- Due to the new approach, over 35 thousand more individuals were considered to be part of the institutional households population in January 2014 than in January 2013, an increase of over 16 percent. As a result, the number of individuals in private households decreased by 16 percent and included primarily one-person households. On the other hand, a certain number of individuals in institutional households are not counted. Previously, municipalities provided the addresses of institutional households. They collected them in different ways. Many municipalities indicated that they did not have a complete overview of this. The new approach not only leads to higher-quality data, it is also more objective.
- 2013 was a transition year in which the institutional households population was based on addresses collected in previous years, supplemented by addresses available through ZorgkaartNederland.nl. In addition, addresses of individuals were labelled as potentially institutional on 1 January 2013 for individuals who were residing in an institution on 1 January 2012. Subsequently, research was done to determine which addresses could actually be classified as institutional addresses. Not all of these addresses were surveyed, so potentially institutional addresses with few residents may have been missed. An incorrectly missed address indirectly affects the number of households and single-person households. Residents of those addresses are often classified as single-person households.
A number of addresses with a large number of residents may have been incorrectly classified as institutional households. - Since 2011, a new production method has been used to compile data on households. In addition to population register data, other register data is used to determine household composition and to classify people living together.
The results based on the new production method correlate with previous results, but small shifts in the number of households by composition do occur from 2011 onwards. The largest change involves the number of other households and the number of people living together. In 2011, the number of other households is 10 thousand lower than in 2010. The number of people living together is correspondingly higher.
The number of individuals in institutional households was almost 11 thousand higher on 1 January 2011 than on 1 January 2010. Approximately half of this increase was caused by improved data collection methods.
Quality strategy
All data is based on previous years and checked for internal consistencies and completeness.