The survey has been carried out in a random fashion following standard sampling methods. The samples have been designed in order to represent both Omani and expatriate households in the Sultanate. The household expenditure and income survey's sample includes around (5000) households distributed all around the governorates and regions. The household's sample of this survey represents (1.5%) of the total population according to the results of population census of 2003.

The Directorate General of Social statistics is responsible for the execution of the Household expenditure and income survey.

The field work of the survey for the consecutive third year on 20/05/2008 and will go on for 12 months in continuous.

The survey includes both Omanis and non-Omanis.

The survey is planned to be implemented annually over a period of five consecutive years, this providing a large number of drawn family, which in turn, make available more accurate averages. The survey will assist in formulating a standard of living map at small geographic level, such as the walayat. Moreover, the survey will provide more realistic and less affected by economic changes which might occur during the year, in addition is the monitoring the changes which affect the national economy by external influences, most important among them are the oil prices and trade liberalization. Other advantages of this survey are related to its implementation in five consecutive years which would lead is enhancing expenditure and saving awareness and at same time open new opportunities for income increase and encourage own production among families.

Household Expenditure and Income Survey Project Objective of Survey

1. Identifying the size and patterns of the annual household consumption expenditure for the household sector in the Sultanate and its relationship with demographic, economic and social variables for both Omanis and non-Omanis at the Sultanate level (Urban/rural) and at the regional level.

2. The survey provides data which serve the purpose of economic and social development planning of the Sultanate. This data provide the opportunity to evaluate the impact of the current or planned economic and social programs on the family's living condition, in addition to the possibility of the assessing the distributional effects and the social gains of financial policies, especially tax policies.

3. Obtaining weights and other information which is beneficial for the planning of gathering price statistics other with the revision of consumer's price indices.

4. Obtaining the annual mean consumption expenditure for families and individuals on the different expenditure items (goods and services) and studying the factors which affect them.

5. Calculating mean income for families and individuals according to the source of income.

6. Calculating expenditure elasticity of goods and services in relation to changes in income.

7. Studying levels of wages in their impact on the different household consumption expenditure (such as hosting, education, health .etc.)

8. Identifying current demand and estimating future demand for goods and services required for meeting the population needs whether from local production or imports.

9. Identifying population distribution population between the different income and expenditure categories and analyzing the factors related to this distribution.

10. Meeting the requirements of the National Accounts System, 1993 (SNA) from the data related to the preparation of the production accounts, income and how it is spent, the capital of households which is considered one of the most important sectors of the national economy and to provide the data required for building social accounts matrix (SAM).

11. Identifying the activities of the informal sector, especially agriculture, and its productivity, which is carried within the household sector (outside the establishments) and their importance for the national.

12. Identifying the ways of using current income surplus or the means of bridging the gap between income and expenditure carried out in the form of capital transactions performed by the family such as borrowing, or withdrawals form saving or selling or buying some physical and financial capital assets etc.

13. Identifying current transfers size pertinent to the household sector from and to the outside world, being in the form workers remittances or tourism transfers – etc.

Surveys Accompanying the Main Survey

In order to make better use of the huge volume of purely family related data and to realistically interpret these results, some surveys will be conducted concurrently with the main survey every year.