Why and how to measure household economic behavior: The HSE University project “Economic behavior of households”

This article introduces the special issue of Voprosy Ekonomiki, which focuses on household economic behavior. The issue is based on the “Economic behavior of households” project, which has been implemented at the Higher School of Economics since 2023. The project consists of two components: a field component, which involves collecting sociological data, and an analytical component, which analyzes the collected data, systematizes it, generalizes it, and compares it with other data sources. The authors of the article, who are the scientific supervisors of the project, emphasize the relevance and significance of this project in terms of combining economic and sociological aspects. They highlight the state of development of economic and sociological thought, which often remains disconnected from each other. This makes it difficult to view macroeconomic processes from the perspective of consumption. However, in a situation where households’ demand for goods is not clearly defined or predictable, macroeconomists need to have a better understanding of this demand to formulate appropriate programs and policies. The article also emphasizes the importance of collecting microdata on the economic behavior of households, including those with high incomes, to address questions about the future behavior of households if the situation were to change. To make it easier for readers to understand the articles in this special issue, the authors have provided detailed explanations of the data collection methodology, fieldwork specifics, and data composition. Additionally, the project’s microdata are available to researchers, experts, and business associations starting from March 2026.