The Household Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES) 2009 was a survey collecting data on income, consumption and expenditure patterns of households, in accordance with methodological principles of statistical enquiries, which were linked to demographic and socio-economic characteristics of households. A Household Income and expenditure Survey was the sole source of information on expenditure, consumption and income patterns of households, which was used to calculate poverty and income distribution indicators. It also served as a statistical infrastructure for the compilation of the national basket of goods used to measure changes in price levels. It was also used for updating the national accounts.
The main objective of the NHIES 2009-2010 was to comprehensively describe the levels of living of Namibians using actual patterns of consumption and income, as well as a range of other socio-economic indicators based on collected data. This survey was designed to inform policy making at the international, national and regional levels within the context of the Fourth National Development Plan, in support of monitoring and evaluation of Vision 2030 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's). The NHIES was designed to provide policy decision making with reliable estimates at regional levels as well as to meet rural - urban disaggregation requirements.