Survey ID Number
SRB_2014_MICS_v01_M
Title
Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014
Sampling Procedure
The primary objective of the sample design was to produce statistically reliable estimates of most indicators, at the national level, for urban and other areas, and for the four regions of the country: Belgrade, Vojvodina, Sumadija and Western Serbia, and Southern and Eastern Serbia.
Stratification was done according to type of settlement (urban and other), and 25 Areas (Belegrade, West Backa, South Banat, South Backa, North Banat, North Backa, Central Banat, Srem, Zlatibor, Kolubara, Macva, Moravica, Pomoravlje, Rasina, Raska, Sumadija, Bor, Branicevo, Zajecar, Jablanica, Nisava, Pirot, Danube, Pcinja, and Toplica).
A multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling approach was used for the selection of the survey sample. A random sample of enumeration areas (cluster of households) was selected with probability proportional to size (PPS) at the first stage. A sample of households was selected in each enumeration area in the second stage. (A different procedure was used in three large enumeration areas; see the section on listing activities).
The number of households selected per cluster was determined as 18 households. This decision was based on a number of considerations, including the design effect, the budget available, and the time that would be needed per team to complete one cluster. In the selected clusters a further stratification (2nd stage stratification) was done into two strata: households with children under five years of age and households without children under five.
The target sample size for the 2014 Serbia MICS was set to 7200 households and 400 enumeration areas. The sample size was determined based on a review of the 2010 Serbia MICS results along with a discussion on budget constraints. The tentatively planned sample size was further assessed by supplementary calculations using the MICS Sample Size Calculation Template.
The 2011 Serbian Population Census frame was used for the selection of clusters. Census enumeration areas were defined as primary sampling units (PSUs)and were selected from each of the sampling strata by using systematic pps (probability proportional to size) sampling procedures, based on the number of households in each enumeration area from the 2011 Population Census frame. The first stage of sampling was thus completed by selecting the required number of enumeration areas from each of the 25 strata (Areas), by urban and other domains separately.
Since the sampling frame (the 2011 Population Census) was not up-to-date, a new listing of households was conducted in all the sample enumeration areas prior to the selection of households. For this purpose, listing teams were formed who visited all of the selected enumeration areas and listed the occupied households.
Updated lists of households were prepared by the listing teams in the field for each sample enumeration area and sent to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Afterwards, the updated lists of the households in the enumeration areas were classified into two 2nd stage strata (categories): households with children under 5 and households without children. A separate sample of households was selected from each stratum, using a higher sampling rate for households with children under 5. This sampling strategy increased the number of children under 5 in the sample in order to increase the precision of the indicators based on under-5 children.
The sampling procedures are more fully described in "Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014 - Final Report" pp.260-263.