Using the Spatial Reference for Official Statistics in Germany Joint Working Party meeting on "Geographical Information Systems for Statistics" on March 3-4, 2005 in Luxembourg

Agenda Initial situation Framework conditions Results obtained Current activities Outlook

Initial situation The general value added of spatial reference has been recognised by politics, businesses and the society in Germany and is already used in many areas. By the official statistics in Germany the spatial reference is so far used only for cartographic presentations. Major reasons of this are organisational and legal framework conditions.

Framework conditions Legal framework conditions There are stringent regulations regarding the protection of data of individual businesses and persons. Addresses are not used for spatial reference but only as auxiliary characteristics for census data and as organisational characteristics for business data. Adresses of persons must be separated from the census data as early as possible and must be destroyed after using. Using spatial reference of statistical data is possible only at the level of administrative units and of so-called "Blockseiten". Blockseiten are areas of street segments which are located between two crossroads. Politische Gremien: IMAGI, GIW Öffentliche Datenanbieter: GDI-DE, Länder-GDI, Verwaltungsdaten einzelner Gemeinden und Regionen

Framework conditions Organisational framework conditions Using data of official statistics is organised in a federal manner. Statistical data are successively aggregated from NUTS 5 to NUTS 1 level. Thus explicit spatial reference will irreversibly be lost for analyses from level to level. Within the federal statistical system, the “Blockseiten” are used mainly to organise the survey. Only sometimes they are used by local statistical offices which are responsible for statistics at NUTS 5 level. Politische Gremien: IMAGI, GIW Öffentliche Datenanbieter: GDI-DE, Länder-GDI, Verwaltungsdaten einzelner Gemeinden und Regionen

Results obtained Cartography Geo-referencing and spatial analysis Interactive presentation of regional statistical data at NUTS 3 level Geo-referencing and spatial analysis Pilot study "business register" Testing of geo-referencing methods Exemplary spatial referenced examinations At present a productive application of a geo-referenced business register is not intended Methodological development Statistical confidentiality in grid maps

Results obtained Interactive presentation of regional statistical data (NUTS 3)

Results obtained Pilot study "business register": Example of application Flooded areas in August 2002 Business locations within the flooded areas Business locations outside the flooded areas

Results obtained Statistical confidentiality in grid maps Primary confidentiality Applying national confidentiality rules for tables to grid maps. Thereby every grid cell is considered as a table with a regional breakdown. Rule of minimum case Rule of dominant case ... Secondary confidentiality Classification of grid cell values as a first approach.

Current activities Studies and methodological development Study on improving processes and products of the official statistics using the spatial reference Study on changes required in legal and organisational framework conditions for using the spatial reference Continuing the methodological development regarding statistical confidentiality in grid maps Cartographical presentation Using the Internet Map Server technology Register of municipalities Foreign trade statistic Elections for the German “Bundestag”

Outlook Medium-term aims Geo-referencing of the next population census The political, legal and organisational bases have not been set up yet. Geo-referencing of the business register What is required for an effectiv use is the completely declaration of the location addresses of the individual businesses.

Thank you very much for your attention