FSM 1998 HIES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The 1998 Household Income and Expenditures Survey (HIES) was undertaken to develop the marketbasket used for the Current Price Index (CPI). The revised CPI will assist the government of the Federated States of Micronesia in measuring inflation. The measurement of inflation is important for both the public and private sectors -- to determine wage increases, to see the relationship between income and expenditures, and so forth.

This HIES is the first to be developed, collected, and tabulated in the Federated States of Micronesia. We took care in developing the questionnaire and materials to take into account traditional as well as Western life styles, including segments on subsistence and traditional expenditures, such as for betel nut. The data allow for comparisons between types of income and expenditures, as well as detail on demographic, social, economic, and housing chracteristics. These data permit comparisons over time, particularly with the 1994 FSM Census and the 1997 FSM Labor Force Survey.

The 1998 HIES data were collected by enumerators in each of the four States -- Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. Rosina Edwin was survey coordinator, under the general direction of Timothy Semuda, Chief, Statistics Division. Perry Petrus is in charge of developing and maintaining the CPI, so was involved in all aspects of this project. Many other permanent staff at the National and State levels made significant contributions to the timely completion of this project.

Tilson Kephas, along with Itorie Amond and Maggie Asugar, developed the data dictionary and screens for keying the data. The data were keyed using the IMPS CENTRY package. The staff used the IMPS CONCOR program to edit the data; this program was a modification of a prototype program developed by Michael Stroot and Michael Levin at the International Programs Center, U.S. Bureau of the Census, and modified by Kephas. Kephas did the programming for all population, housing, and expenditures tables, using table specifications developed by Levin. Kephas and Levin also developed the appendices presented in this report.

The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), U.S. Department of the Interior, funded this project. The FSM government made many in-kind contributions, including payment of National and State Office of Planning and Statistics Staff, as well as contributions by many other FSM National and State agencies. We appreciate all of this assistance.

Text Box: FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

1998 HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND EXPENDITURE SURVEY

Table EXP01. General Regular Household Expenditures: 1998
	Total				Yap
Expenditures	HHolds	Percent	Amount	Average	HHolds	Percent	Amount	Average
Total	15,230	100.0	28,355,387	1,862	1,925	100.0	5,054,141	2,626

Housing	2,561	16.8	4,579,447	1,788	336	17.5	473,205	1,408
Mortgage/loan payments	2,140	14.1	3,199,206	1,495	262	13.6	433,959	1,656
Rent	301	2.0	1,070,459	3,556	56	2.9	16,820	300
Insurance	152	1.0	309,783	2,038	19	1.0	22,427	1,180

Vehicles	3,293	21.6	3,810,642	1,157	710	36.9	845,584	1,191
Loan repayments	1,217	8.0	3,746,464	3,078	262	13.6	832,034	3,176
Registration & insurance	3,124	20.5	64,177	21	691	35.9	13,550	20

Drivers' licenses	3,797	24.9	51,489	14	691	35.9	12,073	17

Utility costs	15,050	98.8	7,699,256	512	1,925	100.0	1,379,024	716
Electricity	8,404	55.2	4,107,049	489	1,383	71.8	842,575	609
Water	2,464	16.2	742,634	301	897	46.6	136,131	152
Telephone	5,796	38.1	822,509	142	1,103	57.3	192,198	174
Gas/kerosene	14,404	94.6	2,027,063	141	1,682	87.4	208,121	124

Membership fees	1,459	9.6	256,835	176	150	7.8	3,233	22
Social clubs	840	5.5	122,065	145	75	3.9	1,364	18
Sporting clubs	461	3.0	34,889	76	-	-	-	-
Credit cards	186	1.2	68,031	366	37	1.9	1,121	30
Others	234	1.5	31,851	136	37	1.9	748	20

Church-related expenses	13,274	87.2	2,204,851	166	1,233	64.1	136,093	110

Other major regular expense	14,135	92.8	11,957,719	846	1,626	84.5	2,341,022	1,440
Weddings	4,986	32.7	798,484	160	37	1.9	561	15
Funerals	9,505	62.4	3,371,334	355	1,084	56.3	364,903	337
Traditional	5,159	33.9	1,374,352	266	729	37.9	112,209	154
Overseas remittances	1,327	8.7	737,817	556	355	18.4	337,804	952
Local remittances	1,299	8.5	596,749	459	206	10.7	139,981	680
Education overseas	861	5.7	1,292,590	1,501	280	14.5	787,853	2,814
Education within FSM	3,919	25.7	1,581,543	404	486	25.2	461,618	950
Source: 1998 Household Income and Expenditure Survey

Table EXP01. General Regular Household Expenditures: 1998 - continued
	Chuuk				Pohnpei				Kosrae
Expenditures	HHolds	Percent	Amount	Average	HHolds	Percent	Amount	Average	HHolds	Percent	Amount	Average
Total	7,043	100.0	9,428,782	1,339	5,298	100.0	11,610,034	2,191	964	100.0	2,262,431	2,347

Housing	544	7.7	1,888,859	3,472	1,160	21.9	1,532,325	1,321	521	54.0	685,057	1,315
Mortgage/loan payments	374	5.3	1,157,088	3,094	1,003	18.9	1,004,078	1,001	501	52.0	604,081	1,206
Rent	85	1.2	493,008	5,800	141	2.7	479,655	3,402	19	2.0	80,976	4,262
Insurance	102	1.4	238,763	2,341	31	0.6	48,593	1,568	-	-	-	-

Vehicles	834	11.8	998,519	1,197	1,113	21.0	1,526,337	1,371	636	66.0	440,201	692
Loan repayments	323	4.6	972,950	3,012	439	8.3	1,508,374	3,436	193	20.0	433,106	2,244
Registration & insurance	766	10.9	25,569	33	1,050	19.8	17,964	17	617	64.0	7,095	11

Drivers' licenses	1,208	17.2	19,292	16	1,223	23.1	12,509	10	675	70.0	7,616	11

Utility costs	6,941	98.6	2,602,836	375	5,220	98.5	3,294,007	631	964	100.0	423,389	439
Electricity	2,722	38.6	1,266,918	465	3,354	63.3	1,759,487	525	945	98.0	238,069	252
Water	102	1.4	26,130	256	1,426	26.9	576,903	405	39	4.0	3,470	89
Telephone	1,395	19.8	180,667	130	2,508	47.3	356,638	142	790	82.0	93,007	118
Gas/kerosene	6,924	98.3	1,129,120	163	4,969	93.8	600,980	121	829	86.0	88,842	107

Membership fees	476	6.8	79,871	168	486	9.2	115,697	238	347	36.0	58,033	167
Social clubs	306	4.3	28,104	92	266	5.0	67,340	253	193	20.0	25,257	131
Sporting clubs	187	2.7	18,798	101	235	4.4	15,126	64	39	4.0	964	25
Credit cards	51	0.7	29,227	573	78	1.5	31,899	409	19	2.0	5,784	304
Others	34	0.5	3,743	110	47	0.9	1,332	28	116	12.0	26,028	224

Church-related expenses	6,601	93.7	1,048,484	159	4,514	85.2	871,201	193	925	96.0	149,073	161

Other major regular expense	6,686	94.9	3,839,404	574	4,859	91.7	5,129,158	1,056	964	100.0	648,136	672
Weddings	3,215	45.6	455,513	142	1,348	25.4	299,126	222	386	40.0	43,284	112
Funerals	4,117	58.5	674,305	164	3,417	64.5	2,029,913	594	887	92.0	302,214	341
Traditional	2,075	29.5	198,632	96	2,336	44.1	1,061,198	454	19	2.0	2,314	122
Overseas remittances	749	10.6	238,780	319	204	3.9	138,097	677	19	2.0	23,136	1,218
Local remittances	851	12.1	250,451	294	204	3.9	82,059	402	39	4.0	124,260	3,186
Education overseas	357	5.1	281,038	787	204	3.9	219,842	1,078	19	2.0	3,856	203
Education within FSM	1,803	25.6	692,201	384	1,630	30.8	427,724	262	-	-	-	-
Source: 1998 Household Income and Expenditure Survey

Table EXP02. Meat Products Purchased During the Survey Weeks: 1998
	Total				Yap
	Purchases		Expenditures		Purchases		Expenditures
Type of Meat Products	Total	Percent	Total	Average	Total	Percent	Total	Average
All meat	60,595	100.0	421,002	7.0	8,784	100.0	56,198	6.4

Fresh and frozen	8,370	13.8	73,174	8.7	1,589	18.1	12,480	7.9
Hamburger meat	92	0.2	302	3.3	56	0.6	202	3.6
Sirloin steak	33	0.1	289	8.8	-	-	-	-
T-bone steak	125	0.2	233	1.9	-	-	-	-
Chuck steak	16	-	39	2.5	-	-	-	-
Steak (unspecified)	586	1.0	7,655	13.1	19	0.2	178	9.3
Salt beef	69	0.1	362	5.3	-	-	-	-

Pork chops	646	1.1	4,997	7.7	168	1.9	1,246	7.4
Pig's feet	34	0.1	306	9.0	-	-	-	-
Spare ribs	426	0.7	6,252	14.7	37	0.4	329	8.9
Bacon	333	0.5	1,277	3.8	93	1.1	449	4.8

Live pigs	98	0.2	20,666	210.9	-	-	-	-
Franks	4,532	7.5	20,181	4.5	766	8.7	4,806	6.3
Bologna	31	0.1	75	2.4	-	-	-	-
Sausages	147	0.2	728	5.0	19	0.2	47	2.5
All others and unspecif	1,201	2.0	9,811	8.2	430	4.9	5,225	12.2

Poultry	22,163	36.6	220,436	10.0	2,336	26.6	23,667	10.1
Frying chicken	7,013	11.6	90,089	12.9	392	4.5	3,767	9.6
Chicken breast, pieces	67	0.1	741	11.1	-	-	-	-
Chicken wings	472	0.8	3,238	6.9	37	0.4	227	6.1
Chicken legs	777	1.3	6,739	8.7	37	0.4	607	16.4
Turkey, whole	51	0.1	535	10.5	-	-	-	-
Turkey, tail	11,266	18.6	92,978	8.3	1,476	16.8	12,861	8.7
All others and unspecified	2,517	4.2	26,116	10.4	392	4.5	6,204	15.8

Canned meat	30,062	49.6	127,391	4.2	4,859	55.3	20,051	4.1
Ham	217	0.4	1,602	7.4	-	-	-	-
Corned beef	14,963	24.7	64,394	4.3	2,056	23.4	8,697	4.2
Spam.	6,743	11.1	27,724	4.1	1,196	13.6	5,340	4.5
Sausage	1,312	2.2	2,715	2.1	299	3.4	622	2.1
Other canned meat	6,828	11.3	30,956	4.5	1,308	14.9	5,392	4.1
Source: 1998 Household Income and Expenditure Survey

Table EXP02. Meat Products Purchased During the Survey Weeks: 1998 - continued
	Chuuk				Pohnpei				Kosrae
	Purchases		Expenditures		Purchases		Expenditures		Purchases		Expenditures
Type of Meat Products	Total	Percent	Total	Average	Total	Percent	Total	Average	Total	Percent	Total	Average
All meat	27,406	100.0	164,781	6.0	18,544	100.0	144,816	7.8	5,861	100.0	911	9.4

Fresh and frozen	2,875	10.5	15,068	5.2	2,884	15.6	33,454	11.6	1,022	17.4	201	11.9
Hamburger meat	17	0.1	33	2.0	-	-	-	-	19	0.3	1	3.6
Sirloin steak	17	0.1	153	9.0	16	0.1	136