OeNB Euro Survey

Umfragelaender10

The OeNB Euro Survey is a regular international survey among individuals, covering euroization, trust in institutions, monetary expectations and financial decisions. It has been conducted since 2007 in selected Central, Eastern and Southeastern European (CESEE) countries – essentially the countries that have not yet (or only recently) adopted the euro. OeNB Euro Survey data help us understand why, and to what extent, people in these countries use foreign currencies (mainly the euro). The data also support CESEE and euro area central bankers, other policymakers and supervisors as well as researchers in addressing questions revolving around euroization and financial stability.

The OeNB Euro Survey contributes both to the OeNB’s CESEE research agenda and to financial stability analysis. It provides a unique, scientifically sound data base that helps us analyze how, and to what degree, European integration affects the lives of people in the CESEE region. We can thus learn more about their views on economic and financial policy issues (e.g. euro adoption) and better understand the differences between, and within, the countries covered.

The OeNB Euro Survey is conducted at least once a year. It uses national versions of the common questionnaire for all countries under observation. The core questions outlined above are repeated in each survey wave. Specific sets of questions can be added to explore additional issues. So far, additional issues covered have been, inter alia, (1) inflation and inflation expectations, (2) foreign currency lending, (3) overindebtedness and loan arrears, (4) nonbank lending and contingent liabilities, and (5) public debt.

To ensure maximum data comparability across countries, the national versions of the questionnaire and the survey methodology are harmonized before each wave. All national surveys are conducted by random route sampling of the adult population. The unit of observation are individuals aged 18+. The minimum sample size is 1,000 observations per wave and country. The OeNB Euro Survey’s annual frequency reflects findings from the literature and from OeNB Euro Survey data suggesting that euroization may react quickly to changes in the economic and financial environment. The field work for the OeNB Euro Survey is conducted on behalf of the OeNB by Das Österreichische Gallup-Institut GmbH (Gallup) and its national subcontractors.

OeNB Euro Survey data are made available for research purposes with a time lag of one and a half years after in-house quality checks have been completed. The OeNB has used OeNB Euro Survey data in a wide range of publications and in successful cooperations with researchers from other central banks, universities, research institutions and international organizations such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and CESifo.

The OeNB Euro Survey team is in charge of designing and continually improving the questionnaire, ensuring and enhancing data quality and optimizing the survey process. This includes working toward integrating survey data with geographic information and other microdata. The team welcomes questions and feedback from other survey experts. Interested researchers are also invited to propose research topics and design new survey questions together with the OeNB Euro Survey team. Any research proposals submitted should address issues that are relevant to central banking.