Interviewer instructions
2.2 Common expenses
This question serves us to know if all the people who reside habitually in a dwelling, are fed from a single expense or budget, that is, if they share the same expense for food, no matter how many people collaborate to have this expense or budget. Also it identifies if one or more household exists in a dwelling.
Household is understood to be a domestic unit formed by one or more people united or not by ties of kinship, who reside habitually in the same dwelling and are supported by a common expense for food, that is, who share the same expense for food.
[p. 79]
This definition presents the following considerations:
A person who lives alone and does not share expenses with other people although living in the same dwelling, constitutes a household.
The common expense for eating can be supported by one or more people.
It is not necessary that there exist ties of kinship between members of the household.
For purposes of the Poll, the common expense is the part of the income that is meant for buying food for a group of people (or person) who form a household, and can be supported by one or more people.
Sharing a single expense means meeting contributions in a single budget for food of all people who form part of a household, including those who are characterized as dependents: children, elderly and students.
[graphic of the question from the census form]
If all people who normally live in a dwelling are fed from the same budget, it is a single household, how many people contribute to this expense or budget does not matter.
If when asking the question the answer is "yes," circle code 1 and go to question 3.2. When the answer is No," circle code 2 and ask question 2.3 to determine the number of households of how many groups of people who have separate budgets for covering food expenses.
[graphic of the question from the census form]
Guests or abandoned people are given special treatment in the Poll. In the case that an informant tells you that they reside habitually in the dwelling, take into account the following:
Guests or abandoned people do not form part of a household that belongs to an owner of a house of assistance or guesthouse because they pay for the service of lodging and on occasion also for food; because of this they should go in another questionnaire, as a separate household.
[p. 80]
If guests do not share a same food expense between them, each one constitutes a household, unless they share a same expense then they are considered a household.
If in a dwelling, servants and their families normally reside and also share food with the rest of the members of the household, they should be considered part of it, if food expenses are separate, then they are different households.
