Income- and Property Survey 1988

Statistics Norway carried out extensive income and property surveys in 1958, 1962, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1979 and 1982. From 1984 Statistics Norway switched to yearly surveys, this change mostly effected the sample size and sampling issues and not the type of information that is collected. The information is mostly decided based on publicly available taxation data. The income and property survey data is not a regular sampling survey, they are based on a selection that is drawn from the Tax Administration registries. Therefore, foreign citizens are included if they are part of the National registry, which all individuals with a work and residence permit normally are. Children born during the year are included regardless of date of birth, and the same is true of deceased individuals.

The purpose of the survey is to shine a light on the income of both the whole population and within different groups. One of the main goals is to create statistics about households, households being understood as those who live and eat together, and to create an overview of the distribution of individuals and household based on income size, socioeconomic groups, types of households, geography etc. Another main point is to collect income and property data as background information for the Level of Living and consumer expenditure surveys. Information on all types of income, assets, tax deductions, and disposable income for individuals and households are collected. Some information are gathered from other registers, for example marital status and family composition, while information about household composition is gathered through interviews. Family is a narrower concept than a household, a family can consist of single, unmarried fathers or mothers with children or married couples with or without children. A household consists of all individuals who lives and eats together and can therefore consist of several families. Experience shows that ca. 90% of all households consists of one family. (see NOS 98/11) Tax free incomes like social benefits, gifts and profits are not included because of the rules of taxation. Rules for percentage taxation of property, valuation of benefits in kind, private withdrawals, depreciation, etc. also create a number of problems.

In addition to tax information, information about education, occupation and industry of individuals are included. For households the composition, type and who the main income earner is, is included. Data is connected from The National Education registry, The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund, The Housebank, Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion and National Social Security Administration.