Regular Publication of Average Household Expenditure on Basic Needs (AHEBN) Figure

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Department of Statistics has an updated figure for the Average Household Expenditure on Basic Needs (AHEBN); (b) how frequently does the Department intend to publish the AHEBN; and (c) whether the Department plans to define AHEBN for different types of households, including those of persons with disabilities.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: The Average Household Expenditure on Basic Needs (AHEBN) is an estimate of the average monthly expenditure that households spend on essential needs such as food, clothing and shelter.

The data used to compile the AHEBN is primarily from the Household Expenditure Survey (HES) which is conducted once every five years. Based on the latest HES conducted in 2012/13, the AHEBN for a four-person household was about $1,250.

As the HES does not collect information on whether households include persons with disabilities, it is not possible to compile the AHEBN for households consisting of persons with disabilities. The AHEBN is also not available for other household types besides household size.