Households and non-profit institutions serving households

The households sector covers people living independently in residential accommodation and those living in communal establishments. Residential households are groups of people sharing the same living accommodation who share some or all of their income, and collectively consume certain types of goods and services, such as food, electricity or housing. Examples of communal establishments include prisons, student accommodation, care homes and boarding schools.

The households sector also includes self-employed (market producers) who do not form part of quasi-corporations, as well as individuals or groups of individuals who produce goods and non-financial services for their own final use.

Non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) are institutions that:

• provide goods and services, either free or below market prices
• mainly derive their income from grants and donations
• are not controlled by the government

In the UK, the NPISH sector includes:

• charitable organisations
• trade unions
• religious organisations
• political parties
• universities and further education establishments

The UK National Accounts, The Blue Book: 2021 edition presents estimates for the households and NPISH sectors separately. To allow comparison with previous Blue Book publications, estimates for the combined households and NPISH sectors are also presented.

Further information on sector classifications and classification decisions can be found in Economic statistics classifications.