New Survey to Measure Poverty Levels in Fiji

The Fiji Bureau of Statistics is set to launch a major survey in 2025-2026 to measure poverty levels and the country's economic resilience.

The Household Income and Expenditure Survey will provide important data to help update poverty statistics, adjust the Consumer Price Index, and support the country's national economic accounts.

Fiji Bureau of Statistics, CEO, Kemueli Naiqama, said the survey is especially important due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.

"The last poverty report showed that 29.9% of the population were living in poverty. That data was collected before COVID-19, and now we need to see how things have changed," Naiqama explained.

"Many businesses are still closed, and some people remain unemployed because of the pandemic, so it's important to assess the current situation."

The survey, which will start in March 2025 and finish in February 2026, will involve around 100 trained surveyors who will visit approximately 6,300 households across the country.

This sample will be representative of Fiji's diverse population.

The surveyors will undergo three to four weeks of training to ensure they understand the questions being asked and why they are important.

To prepare for the survey, the Fiji Bureau of Statistics held a workshop today to gather feedback from key stakeholders on the survey questionnaire, ensuring the data collected will be as accurate and useful as possible.

The results of the survey will help the government better understand the current level of poverty and guide policies for improving the country's economic wellbeing in the post-COVID era.