Proportion of population in relative poverty living in homes with self-reported problems of damp

Data source
Eurostat Statistics for Income and Living Conditions (SILC) data (1).

Description of data
Population data on exposure to damp in the home are routinely collected by Eurostat and stratified by a number of variables including age groups and socioeconomic status.
Questions used: EU-SILC- leaking roof, damp walls/floors/foundation, or rot in window frames or floor (Yes/No).

Method of calculating the indicator
Original data provided by Eurostat.

Geographical coverage
All EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey.

Period of coverage
2004 and continuing.

Frequency of update
Annual, although access to the data may be delayed.

Data quality
Weaknesses. SILC data rely on subjective assessments made by residents and are not scientifically accurate. No direct link to health effects can be made. Only the EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey are included. International comparisons may suffer from many confounding factors and therefore the validity of findings may be limited.
Strengths. The data are representative for their country and collected according to a consistent methodology, will be available for all EU countries on an annual basis and will provide a good indication of national trends.