Comparison of the Household Budget Survey to MIS/MESL Data MESL Working Paper
Issued: April 2013
Summary
This paper compares the findings of the CSO (2012) Household Budget Survey 2009-2010, to the VPSJ Minimum Essential Standard of Living/Minimum Income Standard (MESL/MIS) expenditure needs data. The comparisons illustrate the value of the nuanced MESL/MIS expenditure data as it facilitates examining the minimum needs of very specific household compositions in precise scenarios.
This analysis focuses on two household compositions, a single adult living alone and two parents with children. The paper demonstrates that the expenditure required to meet the minimum needs of these household types is notably lower than the average of the actual expenditure of households of the corresponding composition. That is to say that the minimum requirement is lower than that spent by the average household.