Average household size of clients of the organization during the reporting period, measured as number of individuals.
Organizations should footnote the source used to determine average household size of clients and all other assumptions used. See usage guidance for further information.
This metric is intended to capture the average household size of clients who received the organization's products or services during the reporting period. This metric may be reported in conjunction with Client Households: Total (PI7954) and its associated submetrics.
Organizations that provide products and services that are used by an entire household (such as clean cookstoves or home weatherization) might find it more appropriate to report on the number of client households served rather than the number of client individuals. By multiplying the number of Client Households by Client Household Size, organizations can estimate the number of individuals served. For example, an organization that sells products to 100 Client Households with a Client Household Size of 5 could estimate that they served 500 individuals.
Organizations that rely on assumptions to report against this metric should footnote all assumptions used in the calculation. Organizations can refer to the following sources for additional information on determining client household sizes, in addition to national census information:
Metrics identified as "cross-category" are those that are relevant to any IRIS+ Impact Category or Impact Theme (i.e., these metrics are not specific to any particular industry/category or theme).
June 2022 - IRIS v5.3 Released (current version)
Immaterial change. Minor revisions to definition and usage guidance for clarity.
January 2020 - IRIS v5.1 Released
No change.
May 2019 - IRIS v5.0 Released
No change.
March 2016 - IRIS v4.0 Released
New metric. Client Household Size (PI4548) was developed via the IRIS Taxonomy Group.
IRIS Metrics Work Better in Sets
To use IRIS metrics—and the resulting data—to understand impact performance, IRIS metrics should be used and analyzed in generally accepted sets and according to well-defined objectives. IRIS+ gives you access to generally accepted Core Metrics Sets aligned to common Impact Themes and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).