Household surveys play an important role in meeting national data needs, for example, in measuring poverty, employment, education, food security, access to health services and public services, discrimination and violence among other topics. Household surveys are also critical for monitoring inequalities by gender, class, location, disability and other markers of disadvantage; which is critical for monitoring progress against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, household surveys are an invaluable source of data for behavioural and attitudinal measures which cannot be collected through other sources like administrative data systems.

Despite their crucial role in national statistical systems over the past decades, household surveys are now facing many funding challenges and scepticism about their usefulness and adaptability to an ever-changing data landscape.

The webinar is part of the UN World Data Forum webinar series. It will provide a platform for discussion on:

• the new role household surveys can play in a changing data landscape in addition to the traditional value they still have among other modes of data collection.
• how to unleash the full potential of household surveys.
• how national statistical offices and others can benefit from innovations to improve effectiveness of household surveys.

A more in-depth discussion on this topic will be covered at the forthcoming Friday Seminar of the United Nations Statistical Commission.