New NBS statistical survey targets household income and living conditions
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will launch a pilot survey on May 13 to assess the population's income and living conditions in accordance with European standards. Oleg Cara, the director of the institution, anticipates that this survey could be implemented in national statistical practices as early as next year.
During the European Integration Commission meeting on May 12, the Director of the National Statistical Office announced that the European Commission conducts an annual assessment of living standards across member states. By the end of this year, the Republic of Moldova will pilot the SILC survey—Statistics on Income and Living Conditions—to ensure full alignment with EU standards.
"Starting in 2027, we will have all the necessary data to align with EU standards concerning income and living conditions statistics, including poverty indicators," stated Oleg Cara.
Currently, the Republic of Moldova utilizes only one of the three indicators employed by the European Union to measure poverty, due to insufficient information on the other two. According to the Director of the National Statistical Office, the implementation of SILC and a new questionnaire for assessing household budgets will enable the statistical institution to gather data for all three indicators, allowing for the generation of comparable information at the European level.
Referring to the evaluations conducted by the European Union's statistical office, Eurostat, which visited the Republic of Moldova in February of this year, Oleg Cara mentioned that the final report will be presented by the end of the year. However, preliminary findings indicate a high level of compliance with European standards.
"The working group was pleasantly surprised by the extent to which national legislation in the field of statistics aligns with EU regulations. Our legislation is even more advanced than that of some EU member states, particularly regarding access to administrative and private data sources," said the director of the National Bureau of Statistics.
Eurostat's recommendations primarily aim to enhance public authorities' capacity to provide information in accordance with statistical standards. Oleg Cara also noted that the Republic of Moldova is expanding the volume of data transmitted to Eurostat on a quarterly basis. Currently, data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Public Health, and the National Bank of Moldova are being shared.
Efforts are focused on expanding data in the national accounts system, with the full alignment process expected to be completed by 2030.
"We have developed a roadmap in collaboration with colleagues from Eurostat, the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Moldova, and the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization. This roadmap outlines the step-by-step alignment process. By 2027, we expect to implement the necessary major adjustments. Some activities will take longer because Eurostat requires time series for analysis, which entails presenting data for 2027. Subsequently, these will be validated, and we will receive final recommendations for complete alignment with EU standards," explained Oleg Cara.
The survey on income and living conditions, which the NBS will pilot starting May 13, will include all individuals aged 16 and over who are members of individual households. Participants will be asked about their income, housing conditions, health, education, and employment status.
