Residents invited to take part in spending survey

The survey will help make sure inflation measuring indices are kept relevant

Residents of Guernsey are starting to receive invitations to take part in the five-yearly household expenditure survey.

Randomly selected people will get the letters in a bid to get 1,000 households to take part over the next year.

Each household will be asked to record their spending for a fortnight within the year.

The results will help form the way inflation is calculated.

Head of Data and Analysis Helen Walton said: "If you get a letter from us or a visit from a fieldworker, it would be fantastic if you could agree to take part.

"The data is vital to keeping the inflation indices - including RPI and RPIX, which get used in so many settings - representative of our island's households."

People taking part will be asked to complete a questionnaire and also to fill out a confidential spending diary.

Those who do both will be entered into a cash prize draw with a chance to win up to £150.

Alternatively they can collect a cash payment of £20 for the first adult and a further £10 for each other person aged 16 or older and £5 for each person aged 15 or younger in the household.

Following the last survey a new Household Cost index was set up and the results will help to keep them aligned with average expenditure patterns.

The survey will be running from October 2023 until October 2024.

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