Households and non-profit institutions serving households

The household sector covers both consumers and producers. Households as consumers is made up of 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. This sector also includes the self-employed who are treated as producers. A smaller group of units within the household sector is made up of those living permanently in institutions with little economic autonomy, such as prison populations and members of religious orders living in monasteries.

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

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

In the UK the NPISH sector includes:

• most charities
• trade unions
• religious organisations
• political parties
• the majority of universities

The United Kingdom National Accounts: The Blue Book 2016 presents combined estimates for the household and NPISH sectors.

Further information on sector classifications and classification decisions can be found in National accounts classifications on our website.