The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey, data from 13,310 farm households in 21 countries

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Economics
• Development Studies
• Food Security Research

Background:

• Standardized data collection is crucial for understanding rural livelihoods.
• Existing surveys often lack comprehensive indicators for socio-economic and food security analysis.
• The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) was developed to address these gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a standardized farm household survey instrument and its associated data.
• To enable quantification of over 40 indicators related to farm and household characteristics, welfare, productivity, and economic performance.
• To facilitate research on pathways to food security, dietary diversity, and poverty reduction in rural smallholder households.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of the Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) instrument.
• Collection of data on 758 variables covering demographics, agriculture, livestock, and socio-economic factors.
• Calculation of over 40 key indicators including poverty, food security, and dietary diversity metrics.

Main Results:

• The RHoMIS instrument was applied in 21 countries across Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia between 2015 and early 2018.
• The dataset includes raw survey responses, indicator calculation code, and resulting indicator values.
• The data allows for detailed analysis of rural smallholder farm household characteristics and performance.

Conclusions:

• The RHoMIS data provides a valuable resource for researchers and policymakers.
• The standardized approach allows for cross-country comparisons and robust analysis of rural development interventions.
• This data can inform strategies to improve food security, dietary diversity, and economic well-being for smallholder farmers.