Simulating the joint distribution of individuals, households and dwellings in small areas

Abstract

This article proposes a sample-based methodology for synthesizing individuals, households and dwellings in small areas, illustrated using a case study of Amsterdam. The method encompasses the following steps: First, individual- and household-level tables are created separately using Iterative Proportional Fitting (IPF). Second, synthetic individuals are allocated into synthetic households using a combination of sorting algorithms and mixed integer programming. As such, the synthetic households are adjusted to accommodate the synthetic individuals, ensuring a consistent joint distribution of individuals, households and dwellings in small areas.