Survey of Household Spending: Public-use Microdata File

2003

Understanding consumer spending is important for a wide variety of users, including social policy analysts, advocacy and community groups, businesses and all levels of government. The Survey of Household Spending: Public-use Microdata File offers users the ability to conduct their own analysis of spending on a wide variety of goods and services as well as dwelling characteristics and possession of household equipment and services. Results from the 2003 Survey of Household Spending were originally released on December 13, 2004. All records have been thoroughly screened to ensure the anonymity of respondents.

The Survey of Household Spending: Public-use Microdata File contains information about expenditures at the household level on a wide variety of goods and services: food, shelter, clothing, transportation, health care, child care, education, reading materials, communications, recreation, furniture, tobacco and alcohol, gambling, taxes, insurance premiums, pension contributions, money gifts, and charitable contributions.

It also collects information about dwelling characteristics such as type of dwelling, whether repairs are needed, tenure (owned or rented), year of move, period of construction, number of rooms and bathrooms, and the age and type of heating equipment and fuel used. Household equipment presented includes a variety of household appliances, communications and entertainment equipment and services, and the number of vehicles owned.

The Survey of Household Spending: Public-use Microdata File, 2003 (62M0004XCB, $3,210) is now available.

For more information about the current survey results and related products and services, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (613-951-7355; 1-888-297-7355; fax 613-951-3012; income@statcan.gc.ca), Income Statistics Division.