Survey respondents are asked to report their household income before tax in a typical year. The monthly or annual context is determined by what is the norm in each country.
To permit cross-country analysis, this income data is then grouped into bands (low, medium low, medium high, high). This allocation is localized, so ‘low income’ is relative to others in that country. This also means that ‘low’ can and typically will have different definitions from one country to another as shown below. From Q1 2024 onwards, the bands are updated once a year head of January fieldwork, factoring in wage inflation in each region.
The scale setting needs to balance the conflicting needs between the need for scales to represent inflationary movement versus the need to have reasonably rounded scale values and consistent spreads (respondent friendly). The ‘cleaner’ the scales, the harder is it to exactly mirror wage inflation in bands. We seek to strike a balance here as achieving all three is not always possible, especially at lower inflation levels where rounding plays a bigger role.
SUMMARIZED
|
INCOME BANDS (2024) - EURO -ZONE COUNTRIES. MONTLY INCOME UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE |
| AUSTRIA | BELGIUM | FRANCE | GERMANY | |
| Low | 1 . Less than €2500 | 1 . Less than €2000 |
1 . Less than €1500 |
1 . Less than €2000 |
| Medium low | 2 . €3000 or more, but less than 3500 | 2. €2000 or more, but less than 3000 | 2. €1500 or more, but less than 2500 |
2. €2000 or more, but less than 1500 |
| Medium high | 3. €4000 or more, but less than 4500 | 3 . €3000 or more, but less than 4000 | 3. €2500 or more, but less than 3500 | 3. €3000 or more, but less than 4000 |
| High | 4. €4500 or more | 4. €4000 or more | 4. €3500 or more | 4. €4000 or more |
| GREECE | NETHERLANDS | SPAIN | ITALY (annual) | |
| Low | 1. Less than €1000 | 1. Less than €2500 | 1. Less than €1500 | 1. Less than €18000 |
| Medium low |
2. €1000 or more |
2. €2500 or more, but less than 3500 | 2. €1500 or more, but less than 2000 | 2. €18000 or more, but less than 30000 |
| Medium high | 3. €1500 or more, but less than 2500 | 3. €3500 or more, but less than 4500 | 3. €2000 or more, but less than 3000 | 3. €30000 or more, but less than 42000 |
| High | 4. €2500 or more | 4. €4500 or more | 4. €3000 or more | 4. €42000 or more |
|
INCOME BANDS (2024) - NON-EURO-ZONE COUNTRIES. MONTHLY INCOME UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE |
| POLAND | SWITZERLAND | TURKEY | BRAZIL | |
| Low | 1. Less than Zł3000 | 1. Less than Fr.5000 | 1. Less than ₺30000 |
1. Less than R$2000 |
| Medium low | 2. Zł3000 or more, but less than 6000 | 2. Fr.5000 or more, but less than 7000 | 2. ₺30000 or more, but less than 40000 |
2. R$2000 or more, but less than 4000 |
| Medium high | 3. Zł6000 or more, but less than 8000 | 3.Fr.7000 or more, but less than 9000 | 3. ₺40000 or more, but less than 60000 |
3. R$4000 or more, but less than 7000 |
| High | 4. Zł8000 or more | 4.4.9000 or more | 4. ₺60000 or more |
4. R$7000 or more |
| CHILE | INDIA | UNITED STATES (annual) | GREAT BRITAIN (annual) |
JAPAN (annual) |
|
| Low |
1. Less than $700000 |
1. Less than ₹30000 |
1. Less than $30000 |
1. Less than £20000 |
1. Less than ¥3000000 |
| Medium Low |
2. $700000 or more, but less than 1100000 |
2. ₹30000 or more, but less than 50000 |
2. $30000 or more, but less than 50000 |
2. £20000 or more, but less than 35000 |
2. ¥3000000 or more, but less than 5000000 |
| Medium high |
3. $1100000 or more, but less than 1700000 |
3. ₹50000 or more, but less than 65000 |
3. $50000 or more, but less than 90000 |
3. £35000 or more, but less than 50000 |
3. ¥5000000 or more, but less than 8000000 |
| High |
4. $1700000 or more |
4. ₹65000 or more |
4. $90000 or more |
4. £50000 or more |
4. ¥8000000 or more |
For more information, speak to your local GfK Account Manager or contact GfK support.