Every two years, the Central Statistical Agency conducted the socio economic survey and this years’ is underway across the Nation. The Coordinator of the survey at the Directorate office of Agriculture and Natural Resource Statistics, Abdulaziz Shifa, a senior statistician, mentioned that the survey covers economic and social status of the country both in urban and rural areas. Such survey is conducted only in four African countries including Ethiopia.

This year’s survey is funded by Gates foundation through the World Bank. The foundation also provided technical supports as well. Trainings has been provided prior to the survey for more than 600 data collectors, supervisors and statisticians.   Ethiopian Socio Economic survey had been conducted in 2013, 2015 and 2017 for the first, second and third time, consecutively. This year socio economic survey is conducted in digital technology for the first time in its kind.

Among other issues nutritional status of children, employment of citizens, agricultural activities, drought condition, incomes, expenditures, education, status of houses, accessibility of health service, water etc are going to be covered in the socio economic survey.  In general development indicators accepted internationally are included in the questionnaire. For this survey a total of 512 enumerators (249 in rural and 283 in urban) are deployed to collect the data.

The socio economic survey of 2019 is planned to completed in the coming 07 July 2019 and the result will be provided next year for users. While the government of Ethiopia is the main user, international agencies, non-governmental organization, policy makers, researchers, and others also used the socio economic results for various purposes.