Income- and Property Survey 1993

Statistics Norway conducted comprehensive Income and Wealth Surveys in 1958, 1962, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1979, and 1982. From 1984, Statistics Norway switched to a system of annual surveys, primarily changing the sample size and sampling issues, with little change to the type of information collected. The information is largely determined by what is available in public tax data. The Income and Wealth Surveys are not considered regular sample surveys; they are based on samples drawn from the tax authorities' registers. This means that foreign citizens are included if they are registered in the Central Population Register, which they usually are if they have work and residence permits. Children born during the year are included regardless of birth date, and the same applies to individuals who died during the year.

The purpose of the Income and Wealth Surveys has been to illuminate the income conditions for the entire population and for different groups. A key point is to create statistics on household consumption, i.e., households that live and eat together, and to provide an overview of the distribution of individuals and households by income size, socioeconomic grouping, household type, geography, etc. Another key point is to collect income and wealth data as a background for Living Conditions and Consumer Surveys. In the years following 1992, a tax system reform was also implemented, making it important to gather information to study the effects of the reform, including for the self-employed, and a larger survey on such conditions was integrated specifically. Information is collected on all forms of income, wealth, tax deductions, disposable income for individuals and households. Some information is linked from other registers, including marital status and family composition, while information on household composition is obtained through interviews. Family is a narrower concept than household; a family can consist of single individuals, unmarried parents with children, or married couples with or without children. A household, on the other hand, includes all persons who live and eat together and can therefore consist of several families. Experience shows, however, that about 90% of all households consist of only one family (see Notes 98/11 SSB 1998: Income and Wealth Survey 1995). Tax-free income, such as benefits of a predominantly social nature, gifts, and winnings are excluded due to tax rules. Rules for the percentage taxation of property, valuation of fringe benefits, private withdrawals, depreciation, etc., also create some problems.

In addition to the pure tax information, information on education, occupation, and industry for individuals, and for the household: composition, type, and who is the main income earner is usually included. Data from the Education Register, the State Educational Loan Fund, the Housing Bank, the Ministry of Social Affairs (social assistance), and the National Insurance Administration are also linked.