Impact of household structure complexity on the propensity to avoid answering the question measuring total net income in the European Social Survey, 2008-2018

Apart from unit nonresponse, a failure to respond to a particular survey question is a crucial component of the Total Survey Error. This article looks at item nonresponse to a household’s total net income in the European Social Survey (2008–2018). We explore whether the task complexity mechanism is responsible for the likelihood of nonresponse to the income question. Additionally, we consider cross-country differences in national economies and labour market conditions, which we argue might also affect the propensity not to report income. When modelling the probability of avoiding responses, we used multi-level regression models, assuming that the national context also influences the inclination of individuals to fail to respond. The article showed that people living in more numerous households, with income from less stable sources and a more complex family structure, are more prone to not responding.