Use of administrative registers for income statistics in Sweden

Abstract

There are two surveys which deal with income statistics in Sweden. One employs data exclusively from different administrative registers and covers all citizens in Sweden. The household definition used in this survey is the taxable unit. The second survey which is a sample of 10 000 households combines data from administrative registers and data from tax return forms with questionnaire data. As a result of using a questionnaire, a more common definition of a household can be used and data on employment and housing are included. Income data for both surveys are collected from tax files and other administrative registers with very good coverage and quality. The administrative registers which were created for other purposes than statistics cover wages, interests, dividends, and different social contributions. One essential drawback is that the first published income statistics will only be available about 18 months after the end of the income year.