University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 1061
Survey Title Consumer Confidence Survey (Test Survey), 2014 (Instructional and Undergraduate version)
Depositor Economic and Social Research Institute, Cabinet Office, The Government of Japan
Restriction of Use For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' at SSJDA website.

- Apply to SSJDA. SSJDA's approval required.
Educational Purpose Available for both research and instructional purposes.
Period of Data Use Permission One year
Access to Datasets Download
Nesstar Not available
Summary The Consumer Confidence Survey is conducted to understand consumer confidence both quickly and accurately, serving as a basic material for economic assessment and contributing to the formulation of national life policies and economic prospects. This survey was applied to households across Japan (excluding foreigners, students, and facilities) to learn about consumer awareness, prospects for the cost of living, planned expenses (e.g., services), and the possession or replacement of main durable consumer goods.

Since the 2013 edition, the method of the Consumer Confidence Survey changed from the placement survey method to mail survey. However, official statistics starting in the 2014 basic plan (Second Phase Basic Plan for Official Statistics), stipulated that "it is necessary to study the introduction of online surveys while planning a statistical survey," the possibility of introducing an online survey into the Consumer Consumption Confidence Survey was also considered.

This survey study aimed to compare the differences (level and direction of changes and degree of changes) in the answers due to different survey methods (mail and online surveys) in homogeneous household groups sampled from the same population as well as the attributes of the participating households.

Below are a few details of the survey:
・It was conducted as a continuous survey of six months (once a month between September 2014 and February 2015), during which the same households were asked to answer a questionnaire. The households that did not answer back by the deadline of each month were considered withdrawals and were excluded from the survey pool for the following month.
・From September to January, the participating households were asked to answer the survey on the 15th of every month as the reference day. In both survey groups, the questionnaires were collected between the 10th and 25th of each month.
・The survey in February was conducted along with the final questionnaire survey without a reference day. The questionnaires were collected between February 6th and 12th.
・In parallel with the survey in February, a separate online survey was conducted with the households that did not answer the survey between October and January (both in the online survey and mail survey groups), inquiring about their intention to continue the survey and why they withdrew.
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Number of household samples: 2,000
Out of which 1,000 households belonged to the mail survey group and another 1,000 to the online survey group (based on the results of the September survey, the samples were divided into two groups to become homogeneous).

(1) Survey in September
[Mail survey] 2,000 households selected from a screening survey

(2) Survey in October
[Online survey] 973 households among the monitors that answered the survey in September assigned to the online group
[Mail survey] 972 households among the monitors that answered the survey in September assigned to the mail group

(3) Survey in November
[Online survey] 946 households that answered the online survey in October
[Mail survey] 947 households that answered the mail survey in October

(4) Survey in December
[Online survey] 926 households that answered the online survey in November
[Mail survey] 942 households that answered the mail survey in November (one household withdrew after the survey in November was collected)

(5) Survey in January
[Online survey] 916 households that answered the online survey in December
[Mail survey] 933 households that answered the mail survey in December

(6) Survey in February and the final questionnaire
1,820 households that answered January survey (online and mail)

(7) Withdrawal questionnaire
122 households* that withdrew (did not answer the survey before the deadline) between the October and January surveys
* (1,945 households surveyed in October) – (1,820 surveyed in February) – (3 households that withdrew from the group of monitors)
Unit of Observation Household
Sample Size [List of questionnaires collected] (Unit: households)
SeptOctNovDecJanFeb
Online survey973*946926916894871**
Mail survey972*947943933926878**
Total1,9451,8931,8691,8491,8201,749
* Survey groups assigned after the survey in September
** Based on assigned survey groups as of January

[List of response rate]
SeptOctNovDecJanFeb
Online survey97.3%97.2%97.9%98.9%97.6%97.4%**
Mail survey97.3%97.4%99.6%99.0%99.2%94.7%**
** Based on assigned survey groups as of January
Date of Collection (1) Survey in September: 2014/09/15 (Survey reference date)
(2) Survey in October: 2014/10/15 (Survey reference date)
(3) Survey in November: 2014/11/15 (Survey reference date)
(4) Survey in December: 2014/12/15 (Survey reference date)
(5) Survey in January: 2015/01/15 (Survey reference date)
(6) Survey in February and the final questionnaire: Date of answer (questionnaire distribution date: February 6, 2015; Final collection date: February 12)
(7) Withdrawal questionnaire: questionnaire distribution day: February 9, 2015; Final collection date: February 13
Time Period
Spatial Unit
Sampling Procedure In order to make the mail survey group and online survey group homogeneous, the sampling was made according to the procedure below. The respondents were selected between August 29 and September 2, 2014.
(1) From all respondents to the survey applied in May 2014 to all monitors of Nikkei Research Access Panels, the monitors with at least two household members were sampled
(2) The monitors sampled in (1) were subjected to a screening survey with the items below:
・Form of residence
・Head of the household or not
・Nationality
・Student or not
・Highest level of educational attainment
・Device currently in use (PC or smartphone) and screen resolution (approximate)
・Desire to collaborate with the survey (the questionnaire, survey period, and reward were presented)
・Whether the monitor's registered address has been updated
(3) The registered address information is verified and the households living together were excluded (the households in the same postal codes with the same surname or pronunciation were double-checked)
(4) After removing the respondents whose living arrangements were not applicable in the screening survey, 2,000 households were defined by the method of stratified random sampling applied to each area block, age group, and gender.

* The age groups (30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s) were allocated evenly, with 25:25:25:25.
Mode of Data Collection Mail survey and online survey
Investigator Nikkei Research, Inc.
DOI
Sponsors (Funds) Economic and Social Research Institute, Cabinet Office, The Government of Japan
Related Publications (by the Investigator) Please refer to the abstract in Japanese.
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation Questionnaires [ September survey ] [ October survey ]
Frequency Tables [ Main survey (September-February survey) ] [ Final survey ] [ Attrition survey ]
Major Survey Items [Screening survey]
・Living arrangement and relationship with the head of the household
・Type and screen size of the device used to answer the survey

[The Survey]
(1) Consumer awareness (every month)
・Expected changes in the circumstances in general (in the next six months)
・Expected maximum and minimum increase in income (in the next six months)
・Expected changes in employment environment (e.g., stability and ease of finding work) (in the next six months)
・Expected changes in the best time to buy durable consumer goods (in the next six months)
・Expected fluctuation in the price of assets owned, such as stock or land (in the next six months)

(2) Prospects for the cost of living (every month)
・Expected changes in the prices of products of daily consumption (in one year)

(3) Household situation (every month, but only if there is any change)
・(If the respondent) is the head of the household
・Gender, employment status, and age of the head of the household
・Household members and number of working members
・Main types of income
・Questionnaire answer date
Date of Release 2016/08/01
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Topics in SSJDA Economy/Industry/Management
Version 2016/08/01 :
Notes for Users It is the same data as survey 1060, but without the households' annual income, final academic background, and occupation.
For class use or graduation (bachelor's) thesis, please request this version (1061).