The principal focus of the survey is an issue of interest to us all . the welfare level of Malawian individuals and households. The survey data will be used in analyses to determine what proportion of Malawians are unable to meet their basic needs to enjoy an adequate standard of living and are living in poverty. These studies will also consider what accounts for some households being able to attain and sustain such a standard of living and what might be done to assist those households and individuals now living in poverty to escape poverty. The information collected in the IHS also will be used in a range of other studies, including examining employment, health, nutritional status, agriculture, as well as better understanding how households respond to changes in the macroeconomic environment. As you will learn, the data collected using the IHS is particularly rich because it integrates such a wide range of aspects of household and individual characteristics.