Measuring Household Financial Standing in the V4 Countries - A Comparison of Official Methodologies
Measuring Household Financial Standing in the V4 Countries - A Comparison of Official Methodologies

Summary/Abstract: Aim: The article investigates how public institutions in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries define and measure household financial standing, with a particular focus on the role of subjective indicators at national level. The authors addressed two research questions: (i) how is household financial standing conceptualised and measured by public institutions in the V4?, and (ii) to what extent do these approaches differ, particularly in their use of subjective measures? Methodology: The analysis was based on a comparative review of documents published by national statistical offices and central banks across the V4 countries: survey questionnaires, methodological notes, and statistical reports. Additional input was gathered from OECD guidelines on measuring financial well-being. The study examined terminology, types of indicators used, and the degree to which subjective dimensions are included in national measurement systems. Results: Despite shared involvement in international frameworks, the V4 countries showed notable variation in defining and measuring household financial standing. Objective indicators dominated across all the four countries, however Poland stood out as the only case where subjective measures are systematically incorporated into official monitoring tools. These discrepancies stem from the national adaptations of international standards and reveal conceptual fragmentation, which weakens cross-country comparability in assessing financial well-being. Implications and recommendations: The observed conceptual and methodological divergence reduces the comparability of indicators across the V4 countries. Greater harmonisation of measurement practices, particularly through the wider inclusion of subjective indicators in official surveys, could improve cross-country assessments of financial well-being. Originality/value: This article offers a novel comparative account of how V4 institutions operationalise household financial standing, highlighting differences in definitions, indicator selection, and the inclusion of subjective data. The findings contribute to discussions on the harmonisation of methodologies and the role of subjective metrics in official statistics.

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