The Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS)

The World Bank's flagship household survey program since 1980.

Our programs

The LSMS strives to keep its programs aligned with the shifting global needs in policy and analytical priorities, as well as the latest advances in technology and survey methodology.

LSMS-ISA LSMS+

LSMS launches high-frequency phone surveys on COVID-19

As part of a global effort by the World Bank, LSMS is launching high-frequency phone surveys in Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda to track national responses to COVID-19 and its socio-economic impacts

Our work

LSMS Data

LSMS data is publicly available and open access: explore the full datasets in the World Bank’s Microdata Catalog

News

COVID-19 Phone Surveys

LSMS launches high-frequency phone surveys in Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda to track national responses to COVID-19 and its socio-economic impacts

The World Bank's flagship household survey program since 1980

Bridging data gaps and helping countries produce better data has been at the core of the LSMS mission since its inception in the early 1980s.

Center for Development Data (C4D2)

The LSMS-led Center for Development Data (C4D2) is a Rome-based hub for fostering methodological innovation and strengthening capacity in household surveys in low- and middle-income countries.

LSMS - Integrated Surveys on Agriculture

Collaborating with national statistical offices in eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to design and implement systems of multi-topic, nationally-representative panel household surveys with a strong focus on agriculture.

LSMS Plus

Assisting selected low-income countries in collecting individual-disaggregated survey data on asset ownership and employment, following the latest international guidelines.

The 50x2030 Initiative

The 50x2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap is a multi-partner effort that seeks to bridge the global agricultural data gap by transforming country data systems across 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America by 2030.

What's New?

VIDEO

Data for Development

The World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Study team on the road in Uganda. Talip Kilic and James Muwonge of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics explain why accurate data is so important to sustainable development, and how "Behind every data point is a human story."

Featured publication

LSMS Guidebook

Disability Measurement in Household Surveys

This LSMS Guidebook provides guidance on improving the collection of disaggregated disability data.

Stay Connected

Contact Us

The World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS)

1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433

lsms@worldbank.org

Center for Development Data (C4D2)

Via Labicana 110 Rome 00184, Italy

c4d2@worldbank.org