Analysis of expenditure patterns and levels of household indebtedness of public and private rental households, 1975 to 1999: final report

This report is the final one from the AHURI project analysing and comparing housing expenditure patterns and levels of indebtedness of public and private rental households over the period 1975- 76 to 1998-99. The study is based on ABS Confidentialised Unit Record Files of household expenditure for four time periods: 1975-76, 1988-89, 1993-94 and 1998-99. The Household Expenditure Survey (HES) has also been conducted for 1983-84, but this period was not used as the rental housing data could not be made comparable. The HES is a survey of nearly 7,000 to 10,000 households (the sample size depends on the year) who are required to keep a written diary (supplemented by interviews) of the cost of acquiring goods and services over a two week period. The consumption information collected is extremely detailed but can be aggregated into broader expenditure categories such as housing, education, health and financial insurance, and clothing and footwear. In addition to the time series analysis, the 1998-99 survey included questions on financial stress. The data is highly useful for a range of applications including policy evaluation, analysis of market trends and consumer behaviour, and problem identification.