What you should know

The Survey on Living Conditions 2024 is an official operation which forms part of the current annual statistical action Programme (action 05 01 01), deploying the Law on the 2017–2020 Statistical Plan for Catalonia extended for the year 2024.

The Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat) is conducting this Survey in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Rights, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Barcelona City Council and the Metropolis Institute. It also receives the support of the National Statistical Institute (which has been conducting this Survey annually for Spain since 2004).

The Survey on Living Conditions follows Eurostat's recommendations and sits within the European Union Statistics project on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). It provides comparable data at national and European level, since it is a harmonized operation that is carried out in all the countries of the European Union, in accordance with the Regulation (EU)2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 October 2019 establishing a common framework for European statistics relating to persons and households, based on data at individual level collected from samples.

2. What is the objective?

The objective of this Survey is to obtain information about income and living conditions among households, the composition of poverty and social exclusion in Catalonia, and to be able to compare it on a national and European level.

3. To who is the Survey addressed?

This Survey is addressed to the resident population in main family homes in Catalonia, i.e. in homes used most of the year as a habitual or permanent residence. Interviews will be held with people aged 16 and over in 4,179 households.

4. In which areas is the Survey carried out?

The Survey is carried out in the following areas:

Number of households surveyed

Comarca	Municipis	Nombre màxim d'habitatges
Alt Camp	Aiguamúrcia; Cabra del Camp; Rodonyà; Vallmoll	38
Alt Empordà	Borrassà; Cadaqués; Capmany; Figueres; Fortià; Ordis; Pau; Pont de Molins; Roses; Sant Climent Sescebes; Sant Pere Pescador; Saus; Camallera i Llampaies; Vilafant; Vilajuïga	135
Alt Penedès	Olèrdola; Sant Martí Sarroca; Santa Margarida i els Monjos; Vilafranca del Penedès; Vilobí del Penedès	51
Alt Urgell	Coll de Nargó; La Seu d'Urgell	48
Alta Ribagorça	El Pont de Suert	12
Anoia	Cabrera d'Anoia; Capellades; Masquefa; Òdena; Piera; Sant Martí de Tous; Santa Margarida de Montbui; La Torre de Claramunt	94
Aran	Bossòst; Vielha e Mijaran	17
Bages	Artés; Cardona; Castellbell i el Vilar; Manresa; Navàs; El Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort; Sant Fruitós de Bages; Sant Joan de Vilatorrada; Santpedor; Súria	161
Baix Camp	Alforja; Les Borges del Camp; Cambrils; Castellvell del Camp; Montbrió del Camp; Mont-roig del Camp; Reus; Riudecanyes; Riudecols; Riudoms; La Selva del Camp; Vinyols i els Arcs	158
Baix Ebre	L'Aldea; Aldover; Tortosa	66
Baix Empordà	Begur; La Bisbal d'Empordà; Gualta; Palafrugell; Palamós; Parlavà; La Pera; Sant Feliu de Guíxols; Santa Cristina d'Aro; La Tallada d'Empordà; Torroella de Montgrí; Ullà	118
Baix Llobregat	Abrera; Begues; Castelldefels; Collbató; Cornellà de Llobregat; Esplugues de Llobregat; Gavà; Martorell; El Papiol; Sant Andreu de la Barca; Sant Boi de Llobregat; Sant Climent de Llobregat; Sant Feliu de Llobregat; Sant Joan Despí; Sant Vicenç dels Horts; Santa Coloma de Cervelló; Torrelles de Llobregat; Vallirana; Viladecans	297
Baix Penedès	Albinyana; Calafell; Cunit; El Montmell; El Vendrell	45
Barcelonès	Badalona; Barcelona; L'Hospitalet de Llobregat; Sant Adrià de Besòs; Santa Coloma de Gramenet	572
Berguedà	Berga; Puig-reig	21
Cerdanya	Bellver de Cerdanya	12
Conca de Barberà	L'Espluga de Francolí; Llorac	23
Garraf	Canyelles; Cubelles; Olivella; Sant Pere de Ribes; Vilanova i la Geltrú	95
Garrigues	Bellaguarda; Les Borges Blanques	20
Garrotxa	Besalú; Montagut i Oix; Olot; Les Preses; Riudaura; Sant Jaume de Llierca; Santa Pau	63
Gironès	Bescanó; Cassà de la Selva; Celrà; Flaçà; Girona; Llagostera; Llambilles; Quart; Salt; Sant Gregori; Sant Julià de Ramis; Sarrià de Ter; Vilablareix	176
Maresme	Alella; Arenys de Mar; Cabrils; Canet de Mar; El Masnou; Mataró; Montgat; Òrrius; Palafolls; Pineda de Mar; Premià de Dalt; Premià de Mar; Sant Pol de Mar; Santa Susanna; Tiana; Tordera; Vilassar de Dalt	277
Moianès	Calders; Moià; Santa Maria d'Oló	27
Montsià	Alcanar; La Galera; La Ràpita; Sant Jaume d'Enveja	58
Noguera	Albesa; Balaguer; La Baronia de Rialb	26
Osona	Balenyà; Centelles; Folgueroles; Manlleu; Les Masies de Voltregà; Montesquiu; Sant Hipòlit de Voltregà; Santa Eulàlia de Riuprimer; Seva; Taradell; Tona; Torelló; Vic	156
Pallars Jussà	Tremp	1
Pallars Sobirà	Lladorre	5
Pla d'Urgell	Fondarella; Golmés; Linyola; Mollerussa	41
Pla de l'Estany	Banyoles; Cornellà del Terri	29
Priorat	Gratallops; Ulldemolins	18
Ribera d'Ebre	Flix; Miravet	21
Ripollès	Camprodon	7
Segarra	Cervera; Guissona; Les Oluges	17
Segrià	Alcoletge; Alfarràs; Almacelles; Almenar; Artesa de Lleida; Benavent de Segrià; Gimenells i el Pla de la Font; Lleida; Rosselló; Sudanell; Torrefarrera; Torres de Segre; Vilanova de la Barca	168
Selva	Amer; Anglès; Arbúcies; Blanes; Caldes de Malavella; La Cellera de Ter; Fogars de la Selva; Hostalric; Lloret de Mar; Maçanet de la Selva; Riudarenes; Sant Hilari Sacalm; Tossa de Mar; Vidreres; Vilobí d'Onyar	217
Solsonès	Solsona	8
Tarragonès	Altafulla	166
Urgell	Bellpuig; Sant Martí de Riucorb; Tàrrega	28
Vallès Occidental	Badia del Vallès; Barberà del Vallès; Castellar del Vallès; Castellbisbal; Cerdanyola del Vallès; Matadepera; Montcada i Reixac; Palau-solità i Plegamans; Polinyà; Rubí; Sabadell; Sant Cugat del Vallès; Sant Quirze del Vallès; Santa Perpètua de Mogoda; Sentmenat; Terrassa; Ullastrell; Vacarisses; Viladecavalls	375
Vallès Oriental	L'Ametlla del Vallès; Bigues i Riells del Fai; Caldes de Montbui; Cardedeu; Les Franqueses del Vallès; La Garriga; Granollers; Gualba; La Llagosta; Lliçà de Vall; Llinars del Vallès; Martorelles; Mollet del Vallès; Sant Antoni de Vilamajor; Sant Celoni; Sant Esteve de Palautordera; Sant Feliu de Codines; Sant Fost de Campsentelles; Sant Pere de Vilamajor; Santa Maria de Palautordera; Vallromanes	312
Total	274	4.179

5. How are dwellings selected?

Dwellings are selected totally by stratified random sampling. Firstly, the census tracts are made, grouped homogeneously by territorial area and size of municipality. Secondly, 12 dwellings are selected in each census selection. The final units to be surveyed are the households and people aged 16 and over in selected family dwellings.

The households that are part of the Survey sample are interviewed using the rotating panel system for four consecutive years and then replaced. The sample consists of 4 subsamples: one subsample made up of new households being surveyed for the first time and three subsamples consisting of households already surveyed the previous year. This methodology makes it possible to obtain cross-sectional information (it collects information about the situation at a given time) and longitudinal information (it collects information from the same units over time and allows for dynamic analysis).

6. When is the data collected?

The fieldwork will take place between the months of February and May 2024.

7. How is the Survey answered?

The data collection is carried out using 3 methods sequentially: collection of questionnaires over Internet, telephone interviews and computer-assisted personal interviews. Beforehand, the heads of household will have received a letter from Idescat explaining the aim and characteristics of the survey.

8. Is it compulsory to answer?

Yes, it is compulsory. Given that these are statistics of public interest, as established by the Parliament of Catalonia, like all statistics forming part of the Statistical plan for Catalonia, the collaboration of the population and companies in responding to the questionnaires is a legal obligation, in order to guarantee the right quota of replies and statistically reliable results (chapter V of the Law 23/1998, dated 30th December 1998 on statistics in Catalonia). As expressed by article 38 of the Law: "All citizens, entities and institutions are obliged by law to provide the information requested and this information must be complete and truthful."

9. Is the information in the Survey properly protected?

All data of an individual nature in the surveys is protected by statistical secret under the terms established by the Law 23/1998, dated 30th December 1998 on statistics in Catalonia. This supposes that all individualised data contained in the questionnaires cannot be made public and neither can it be communicated to any person or entity, not even public administrations, unless they are also bound by the obligations of statistical secret. In this sense, all Idescat staff and other bodies that participate in official statistics in Catalonia make a solemn declaration that they will respect statistical secret and face severe penalties if they fail to do so.

Also, the obligation to preserve statistical secret is extended to the publication of results, whereby both Idescat and other bodies in the Catalan statistics system take special care to ensure that data containing information of an individual nature cannot be deduced from tabulated data.

10. Where can the results of the Survey be found?

On the Idescat website you can find the Survey results.

11. Where can I find out more?

During the period of the field work there will be a telephone line available and an electronic mail to answer any questions that might arise.

• Telephone: 900 670 775
• Electronic mail: condicionsdevida at idescat dot cat

After completion of the fieldwork, we offer you several forms of contact that you can consult here: https://www.idescat.cat/institut/idescat/contacte/?lang=en