Household Survey Response Burden Index Q2 2022

Time index increased in the period Q3 2017 to Q2 2022

Response burden is a measure of the burden placed on Irish households by Central Statistics Office (CSO) surveys. There are three separate indices created; a distribution burden, a response burden, and a time burden. Please see Background Notes for further explanation of these concepts.

There was an 80% increase in the distribution index between Q3 2017 and Q2 2022. Over the same period, there was a 6.6% decrease in the response index and a 77.4% rise in the time index. See Figure 1.1 and Table 1.1.

Changes to the distribution index can be caused by different levels of required statistical precision in different household surveys, thereby leading to different sample sizes. The number of surveys being conducted at a given time also influences this index. Changes to the response index include a natural fluctuation across the survey population over the course of the year, and variation in response expected. The time index is affected by the number of responses received to individual surveys, along with the number of questions asked within. Improved data and development of methodologies also contribute to variation within the response and time indices.

Average duration of household interview increased in the period Q3 2017 - Q2 2022

The decrease in the response index from Q1 2020 to Q2 2021 is associated with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the period from Q3 2017 to Q2 2022, the number of interviews distributed per household has increased from 0.02 to 0.03. The responses received per household in the State remained constant 0.01. The average time taken per household in the State to complete the interviews was 5.25 seconds in Q3 2017. This average time increased to 10.78 seconds in Q1 2020 and was 9.32 seconds in Q2 2022. See Figure 1.2 and Table 1.2.