WINDHOEK— The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) is set to conduct the next Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES) for the fiscal year 2025/2026. This extensive survey will gather crucial data on the income and expenditure patterns of households across the country, impacting future economic planning and policy-making.

According to Namibia Press Agency, NSA’s Statistician General, the survey will commence with a pilot phase from September 30 to October 18, 2024, followed by the main fieldwork starting on March 17, 2025, and continuing until March 17, 2026. This survey, which is essential for calculating poverty indicators and updating national economic metrics, aims to capture detailed and actionable data on the living standards of Namibians.

Shimuafeni outlined the survey’s broad scope, noting that it will cover all 14 regions of Namibia, with a sample size of 10,368 households selected through a two-stage sampling procedure. The information gathered will be instrumental in updating the Consumer Price Index and rebasing national accounts, which are critical for accurately measuring inflation and economic growth.

The NSA has allocated N$43 million for the preliminary activities of the survey, including the pilot, training, and logistics. An additional N$50 million will be provided by the government over the next two fiscal years to support the execution of the main survey. Shimuafeni also highlighted the employment opportunities this survey will create, with plans to hire 171 temporary staff members for the main survey and an initial 24 field staff for the pilot phase.

This upcoming NHIES will be the first such survey conducted by the NSA since 2015/16, a delay Shimuafeni attributed to previous budgetary constraints.