Household Surveys and the Millennium Development Goals

The purpose of this report is to assess the role of household surveys in providing data for monitoring the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and how this might be strengthened. The first part of this report looks at the statistical systems that exist at the national level and the role that household surveys play in the production of policy-relevant data production. The second part reviews the main types of surveys that are currently implemented in many countries, looking at their purposes, uses, and key characteristics, as well as their aptness for meeting the data needs of the MDGs. IThe third part d the report describes an optimal program of household surveys that could provide data for the MDGs along with other necessary data. and contrast this with the reality in most countries in the developing world, making recommendations for how to move from the current system to a more effective one. The report concludes with a discussion of the role of the international community in improving the household survey system: what actions could be reasonably taken and what the value added of such actions might be.