Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) Survey in the Czech Republic: Methodology and History

EU-SILC is a survey focused mainly on mapping income and living conditions of households. In the Czech Republic, the survey has been conducted annualy since 2005 under the name “Životní podmínky” (Living Conditions). Each year, approximately 10 thousand households are surveyed – around one quarter of these households for the first time, while the rest repeatedly as part of the four-year rotating panel. As the EU-SILC has a uniform methodology for all participating countries, the results for the Czech Republic can be compared with other European countries or with the EU average. The Living Conditions survey was introduced in the context of the Czech Republic´s integration into the EU. However, similar surveys focused on households and their current living situation have been conducted regularly in the former Czechoslovakia since 1956. This article focuses primarily on methodology of SILC, but also offers a brief overview of the living conditions surveys in former Czechoslovakia and in present-day Czech Republic.