The survey will continue until December 2023.
Households that get the chance to take part voluntarily will receive a cash prize as a thank you.
The so-called income and consumption sample (EVS) – the largest voluntary household survey in official statistics – takes place every five years.
This year it's that time again.
"The EVS tells you how much money is available to households in Germany and what they spend it on," says the Federal Statistical Office on its website.
The statistical offices of the federal and state governments survey around 80,000 private households about their income and expenditure, their financial and real estate assets, their living conditions and their equipment with selected consumer goods.
Income and Consumption Sample (EVS) 2023 – voluntary participation
The sample income and consumption survey (EVS) will take place from January to December 2023.
"You can register at any time until the beginning of September 2023," says the website of the Federal Statistical Office;
the participating households would then have to document their daily expenses for three months.
EVS 2023: Cash bonus for fully participating households
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If the household fully participates in the survey, a bonus of at least 100 euros beckons.
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© Photo booth / K. Schmitt/ Imago
Voluntary participation, which certainly means a little extra effort, will be rewarded with a bonus of up to 175 euros: "As a thank you for your complete participation, your household will receive a bonus of 100 euros," the Federal Statistical Office informs on its website.
For households with underage children, there is an additional premium of 50 euros.
"Every fifth household is selected for the so-called detailed sample and then documents the expenditure and quantities purchased for food, beverages and tobacco products in detail for two weeks.
These households also receive a bonus of 25 euros.” A practical side effect: those who have the opportunity to voluntarily take part in the EVS receive – in addition to the bonus – an overview of their finances in the respective period.
How to voluntarily apply to participate
Anyone who would like to take part in the EVS 2023 voluntarily must register with the Federal Statistical Office and submit a declaration of participation.
But that doesn't mean that the household will be selected.
Because: "We then draw a sample from all registrations in order to obtain representative results," it also says on the website.
The participating households are selected on a quarterly basis.
The next selection of participants will take place in March 2023.
There is also a separate app for the EVS 2023, as it says there.
“Rate sample” – different households are searched for
The Federal Statistical Office explains that the EVS is a "quota sample" - which is why care is taken to ensure that enough households from each population group take part.
For example, you would be looking for:
Couple households with children
households of single parents
living alone
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EVS 2023: Early application could be worthwhile
"If there are already enough suitable households, you may not be invited to participate," says the Federal Statistical Office, also describing the procedure.
"If your household was not immediately included in the sample, there is a possibility that you will 'move up' in the course of the 2023 survey year."
List of rubrics: © Fotostand / K. Schmitt/ Imago
