Errors in survey reports of consumption expenditures

Arbeitspapier

This paper considers data quality issues for the analysis of consumption inequality exploiting two complementary datasets from the Consumer Expenditure Survey for the United States. The Interview sample follows survey households over four calendar quarters and consists of retrospectively asked information about monthly expenditures on durable and non-durable goods. The Diary sample interviews household for two consecutive weeks and includes detailed information about frequently purchased items (food, personal cares and household supplies). Each survey has its own questionnaire and sample. Information from one sample is exploited as an instrument for the other sample to derive a correction for the measurement error affecting observed measures of consumption inequality. Implications of our ?ndings are used as a test for the permanent income hypothesis.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IFS Working Papers ; No. 03/07

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Estimation: General ; Classification Discontinued 2008. See C83. ; Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
• Subject: Consumption Inequality ; Measurement Error ; Permanent Income Hypothesis ; Verbraucherausgaben ; Messung ; USA ; Statistischer Fehler

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Battistin, Erich
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
• (where): London
• (when): 2003

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.1920/wp.ifs.2003.0307
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/71524
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET