UAE to survey 19,000 families in major study on cost of living

The UAE will assess household spending as part of a year-long cost of living study.

About 19,000 families will take part in the Household and Income and Expenditure Survey 2024, which was announced yesterday.

The poll, launched by the Ministry of Community Development in partnership with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre and national statistics centres, is designed to help to shape efforts to improve living standards.

It will consider the effect of education, job roles and other social, demographic and economic factors on financial circumstances.

The survey is to be carried out in line with the National Strategy for Quality of Life 2031.

Officials said households in Abu Dhabi will take part in the poll from next month.

Fieldwork should be completed by the end of next year and results will be published by June 2025.

Citizens and residents will take part in the survey, including those living in worker accommodation. “The sixth of its kind in the UAE capital, this is deemed the largest statistical survey in terms of cost, effort and time in the emirate after the population survey,” Abu Bakr Al Amoudi, technical adviser for the Statistics Centre in Abu Dhabi, said yesterday.

Hanan Ali Al Marzouqi, director of the field surveys department at Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre, said the data sample will consist of 70 per cent Emirati families and 30 per cent overseas residents.

Each family will be given two forms – one about the family details and income levels – and the other one on expenditure covering consumption patterns.

The head of each household will receive forms to record durable and non-durable goods acquired throughout the month.

The survey will assess how much each family is spending on essential items.