Digit Preference in African Survey Data and Their Impact on Parametric Estimates

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Most microeconomic and demographic variables in African countries are collected from sample surveys. Some are comprehensive and cover the whole country while others are region or area specific. In many large scale surveys an appropriate scientific method of sampling (usually multistage stratified cluster sampling) is adopted. However the responses may not be accurate. There are many reasons for wrong reporting such as memory lapse or deliberate attempt to underestimate (such as income) or overestimate (such as expenditure). The most common source of error is the tendency to provide numerical responses that end with certain digits, especially those that end with integer “zero”, followed by the integer “five”. A typical case is “age heaping” where individuals give their ages with umbers ending with these digits. The types of digit preference are not only limited to age reporting. When farmers are asked about acreage planted, amount harvested, number of cattle owned, output consumed and sold , distance from home to the nearest market etc., they appear to give numerical values that end with “zero” or “five”

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