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Who should be interviewed in surveys of household income?:

Author

Listed:
  • Fisher, Monica
  • Reimer, Jeffrey J.
  • Carr, Edward R.

Abstract

This study tests the null hypothesis that it is sufficient to interview only the household head to obtain accurate information on household income. The results show that using a husband's estimate of his wife's income does not produce statistically reliable results for poverty analysis. Estimates of the wife's income separately provided by the husband and wife agree in only 6 percent of the studied households. This indicates that although limiting interviews to one person can reduce the time and expense of household surveys, this appears to be detrimental to accuracy, and may lead to incorrect conclusions on the determinants of poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Fisher, Monica & Reimer, Jeffrey J. & Carr, Edward R., 2010. "Who should be interviewed in surveys of household income?:," IFPRI discussion papers 949, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:949
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Foster, James & Greer, Joel & Thorbecke, Erik, 1984. "A Class of Decomposable Poverty Measures," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(3), pages 761-766, May.
    2. Margaret Grosh & Paul Glewwe, 2000. "Designing Household Survey Questionnaires for Developing Countries," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 25338.
    3. Carr, Edward R., 2008. "Men's Crops and Women's Crops: The Importance of Gender to the Understanding of Agricultural and Development Outcomes in Ghana's Central Region," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 900-915, May.
    4. Haddad, Lawrence & Kanbur, Ravi, 1990. "How Serious Is the Neglect of Intra-Household Inequality?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 100(402), pages 866-881, September.
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    6. Wim P. M. Vijverberg, 1993. "Educational Investments and Returns for Women and Men in Côte d'Ivoire," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 28(4), pages 933-974.
    7. Udry, Christopher, 1996. "Gender, Agricultural Production, and the Theory of the Household," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(5), pages 1010-1046, October.
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    11. Haddad, Lawrence & Hoddinott, John, 1994. "Women's income and boy-girl anthropometric status in the Cote d'Ivoire," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 543-553, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Household income; Poverty; household dynamics; Gender; Household surveys; Development strategies;
    All these keywords.

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