Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2011-2012

Sampling Frame

Urban area:
FBS has developed its own urban area frame. All urban areas comprising cities/towns have been divided into small compact areas known as enumeration blocks (E.Bs) identifiable through map. Each enumeration block comprises about 200-250 households and categorized into low, middle and high-income group, keeping in view the socio economic status of the majority of households. Urban area sampling frame consists of 26,698 enumeration blocks has been updated in 2003.

Rural area:
With regard to the rural areas, the lists of villages/mouzas/dehs according to Population Census, 1998 have been used as sampling frame. In this frame, each village/mouza/deh is identifiable by its Name, Had Bast Number, Cadastral map etc. This frame is comprised of 50590 villages/mouzas.

Stratification Plan

Urban Areas:
Large sized cities having population five lacs and above have been treated as independent stratum. Each of these cities has further been sub-stratified into low, middle and high income groups. The remaining cities/towns within each defunct administrative division have been grouped together to constitute an independent stratum.

Rural Areas:
The entire rural domain of a district for Punjab, Sindh and KPK provinces has been considered as independent stratum, whereas in Balochistan province defunct administrative division has been treated as stratum

Sample Size and its Allocation:
To determine optimum sample size for this survey, analytical studies based on the results of Pakistan Demographic Survey, Labour Force and Pakistan Integrated Households Sample Survey were undertaken. Keeping in view the variability that exists within the population for the characteristics for which estimates are to be prepared, population distribution, level of estimates and field resources available a sample of size 17,056 households to be enumerated from 1,217 PSUs (604 urban and 613 rural) has been considered sufficient to produce reliable estimates in respect of all provinces. Out of these 1,217 PSUs, 59 PSUs (19 urban and 40 rural PSUs) were dropped and the remaining 1,158 PSUs (585 urban and 573 rural) comprised of 15807 households were covered.

Sample Design:
A two-stage stratified sample design has been adopted for this survey.

Selection of primary sampling Units (PSUs):
Enumeration blocks in the urban domain and mouzas/dehs/villages in rural domain have been taken as primary sampling units (PSUs). In urban domain sample PSUs from each stratum have been selected by probability proportional to size (PPS) method of sampling scheme; using households in each block as measure of size (MOS). Similarly in rural areas, population of each village has been taken as MOS for selection of sample villages using probability proportional to size method of selection.

Selection of Secondary Sampling Units (SSUs):
Households within each sample Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) have been considered as Secondary Sampling Units (SSUs). 16 and 12 households have been selected from each sample village and enumeration block respectively by systematic sampling scheme with a random start.