Since the '60s the Survey on Household Income and Wealth (SHIW) is conducted every two years by the Bank of Italy with with the aim of gathering data on the incomes and savings of Italian households. Over the years, the scope of the survey has grown and now includes wealth and other aspects of households' economic and financial behaviour.

The sample used comprises about 8,000 households (24,000 individuals), distributed over about 300 Italian municipalities. Since 1989 the sample has included households interviewed in previous surveys (panel households). The survey collects information on the characteristics of households and of its members, the characteristics of the properties owned, income, consumption and savings, family wealth and other more specific aspects related to, for example, the perception of economic risk, the expectations for the future, economic mobility or financial literacy. The data collected represent a very significant information basis, extremely important in order to allows analysis of the social and economic condition in Italy over the past fifty years.

Data from the Survey on Household Income and Wealth are also distributed within international datasets appropriately harmonized. In particular, since 2010, the survey provides data for Italy for the Eurosystem's (Household Finance and Consumption Survey - HFCS) coordinated by the European Central Bank; moreover from several years the Bank of Italy participates in the projects of harmonization of income and wealth data (Luxembourg Income Study and Luxembourg Wealth Study).

For more information, please visit the Bank of Italy website.