Income distribution according to Brazilian household surveys: harmonization and comparison of Census, PNAD and POF data

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to document and explain the differences in income distribution in three Brazilian household surveys: the Demographic Census, the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD - Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios) and the Family Budgets Survey (POF - Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares). The main hypothesis is that it is possible to achieve great convergence of results in the aforementioned surveys with ex post harmonization procedures that minimize, as far as possible, discrepancies in sampling design, in concepts, and in data collection and treatment. The results confirm, to a large extent, this hypothesis: in general, harmonization approximates the three surveys and significantly reduces the major discrepancies between income distributions, in particular concerning Census vs. PNAD comparisons. Although, in some cases, differences persist in the levels of income, inequality and poverty, their tendencies over time become remarkably similar in the three surveys. Finally, it is observed that the remaining discrepancies follow a pattern: even after harmonization, income distribution in PNADs tends to be a little more egalitarian than in Censuses and in POFs, that is, the poorest families have higher incomes and the richest families have lower incomes.

DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-30982015000000009