The National Quality of Life Survey was implemented in Colombia to determine poverty levels, understand living conditions in urban and rural parts of the country, and assist with economic planning. Modules in the 2011 survey included housing, household demographics, health, child care, education, employment, housing finances, living conditions, household expenditures, a rural module on land ownership and agricultural assistance. For the first time the rural module included questions about agricultural sales and costs to determine income in the rural sector.

All areas of the country were included in the sample, except for the rural areas of Orinoquía-Amazonía, Bogotá D.C., and San Andrés. The 2011 sample was also representative of the departments of Guajira, Córdoba, Boyacá, Cauca, Choco, and Nariño.