Survey of Household Spending, 2002 [Canada]

This public-use microdata file presents data from the 2002 Survey of Household Spending (SHS) conducted in January through March 2003. Information about the spending habits, dwelling characteristics and household equipment of Canadian households during 2002 was obtained by asking people in the ten provinces to recall their expenditures for the previous calendar year (spending habits) or as of December 31 (dwelling characteristics and household equipment). Conducted since 1997, the Survey of Household Spending integrates most of the content found in the Family Expenditure Survey and the Household Facilities and Equipment Survey. Many data from these two surveys are comparable to the Survey of Household Spending data. However, some differences related to methodology, to data quality and to definitions must be considered before comparing these data. New for 2002 The detailed age of the reference person and spouse have been discontinued on the public-use file. Age groups, however, continue to be part of the file. The tenure of the previous dwelling of the spouse is no longer asked as part of the survey. Nineteen new variables were added at the request of Canada Mortgage.