Statistician general Alex Shimuafeni has requested the co-operation of residents randomly selected to participate in the upcoming Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey.

Shimuafeni was speaking during an interview with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology on Tuesday.

He said randomly selected households will need to keep a daily record of income and spending patterns for a period of 14 days.

"It is compulsory for households selected for the survey to participate, just like it was with the housing census," Shimuafeni added.

Failure to participate will be met with legal action, as it is against the law to refuse, he noted.

Shimuafeni emphasised that all data collected will be kept confidential.

The pilot survey started on 30 September until 30 October, while the full survey will be conducted over 12 months, starting in March 2025.

The survey will provide a clear picture of the country's poverty indicators, both at household and individual levels.

Data from this survey will also show whether the country's Gini coefficient has gotten worse or improved.

The Gini coefficient is a measure of the wealth distribution in a country.

Currently, Namibia is the second most unequal country in the world, after South Africa.