Abstract |
This report gives a brief overview of the income data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS). The derivation of household income measures is addressed first, followed by a discussion of the data quality issues encountered. Non-response emerges as the most significant problem. This is not surprisingly, given that high non-response is a phenomenon consistent across previous household surveys in South Africa that involve income measurement. The treatment of the non-response for the purpose of estimating household income is explained and it’s impact is assessed. Discussion of the sample design, household non-response and the weights used to correct for both of these is beyond the scope of this report. A table listing the household and individual level income variables as they appear in the data and the do-files1 can be found in the appendix. |