The housing wealth of Italian households: a comparison of administrative and survey data

We study the distribution of housing wealth in Italy using data from a sample survey (the survey on household income and wealth) and from administrative records regarding real estate owners held by the Italian Department of the Treasury. Our results show that owners with either a low or a high number of properties are under-represented in the survey. After adjusting survey data using the information from the administrative records, average housing wealth increases by some 25 per cent (in relation to the survey results). We find no clear evidence of a bias in the estimate of the level of inequality nor in the association between housing wealth and socio-demographic characteristics.