JOINT UN-ECE/EUROSTAT MEETING ON POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUSES GENEVA, MAY 2008 DIFFICUT TO MEASURE TOPICS IN A POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS: A UK PERSPECTIVE IAN WHITE, Office for National Statistics, UNITED KNGDOM PETER SCRIMGEOUR, General Register Office SCOTLAND

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ‘DIFFICULT TO MEASURE’? Sensitive or publicly unacceptable topics Topics that involve concepts that are difficult to understand Topics that require some detailed knowledge Subjective topics Suspicious topics Topics that do not allow inter-census comparisons

INCOME

Response rates from 2007 Census Tests in England and Wales _________________________________________ AreaPercentage response (households) _________________________________________________ WithWith noPercentage incomeincomedifference _____________ _____________ _____________ ____________________ Camden Liverpool Stoke-on-Trent Bath Carmarthenshire Total _______________________________________________________________

INCOME

Why is INCOME difficult? Sensitivity Difficult concepts and definitions Lack of necessary knowledge Suspicion

ETHNICITY UK legislation permits a question on race/ethnicity Strong demand for information since early 1960s Question failed in pre-1981 Census Test Included for first time in Great Britain in 1991 Extended to Northern Ireland in 2001 Further developments for 2011

ETHNICITY

2001 Census England and Wales Scotland N Ireland White  British  Scottish  White  Irish  Other British  Chinese  Other White  Irish  Irish Traveller  Other White  Indian Mixed Mixed  Pakistani  White/Black Caribbean  Any mixed  Bangladeshi  White/Black African  Black Caribbean  White/Asian  Black African  Other mixed  Black Other  Mixed ethnic group Asian/Asian British Asian/Asian Scottish  Indian  Indian  Other ethnic group  Pakistani  Pakistani  Bangladeshi  Other Asian  Chinese  Other Asian Black/Black British Black/Black Scottish  Caribbean  African  Other Black Chinese or other Other ethnic  Chinese  Any other

ETHNICITY Why is ETHNICITY difficult? Sensitivity Difficult concepts and terminology Subjectivity Suspicion Comparability

RELIGION First included in Great Britain in 1851 Census Included in Northern Ireland from 1971 Extended to rest of UK in 2001 Question is voluntary Improves measurement of ethnicity 7 per cent item non-response

RELIGION

Why is RELIGION difficult? Sensitivity Subjectivity Difficult concepts and terminology Comparability

SEXUAL IDENTITY Increasing awareness in UK of equality issues Age Race Religion Disability Sexual orientation International research Canada New Zealand Scotland

SEXUAL IDENTITY Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation ♦ Only answer this question of you are 16 years old or more  Heterosexual  Lesbian/Gay  Bi-sexual  Other  Prefer not to answer

SEXUAL IDENTITY Why is SEXUAL IDENTITY difficult? Sensitivity Subjectivity Difficult concepts and terminology

SEXUAL IDENTITY UK Sexual Identity Project Develop question(s) Test question(s) Introduce into Integrated Household Survey Future Census?

MARITAL STATUS: CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

New terminology, perhaps …….. Civvied = Married Civorced = Divorced Departnered = Widowed Any other suggestions?

DISABILITY

Ireland’s 2006 Census question Do you have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities YesNo (a) Learning, remembering or concentrating   (b) Dressing, bathing or getting around inside the home   (c) Getting outside the home alone to shop or visit the   doctor’s surgery (d) Working at a job or business or attending school or   college ( e) Participating in other activities, for example leisure   or using transport

DISABILITY

Why is DISABILITY difficult? Sensitivity Subjectivity Difficult concepts and terminology

LANGUAGE Why is LANGUAGE difficult? Subjectivity Difficult concepts and terminology

LANGUAGE

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

One of the least well answered questions 6.2 per cent item non-response 40 per cent failed to report all qualifications

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Why is EDCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS difficult? Lack of necessary knowledge/recall Lack of comparability -Over time - Internationally

RESIDENCY TOPICS Usual Residence Fundamental to Census Changing society - Commuting patterns -Family structures -Second homes - Global living Second Residences Intention to stay

RESIDENCY TOPICS Why is USUAL RESIDENCE difficult? Changing population dynamics Difficult concepts Subjectivity

MIGRATION TOPICS: CITIZENSHIP

MIGRATION TOPICS: ADDRESS 5 YEARS BEFORE CENSUS Why is ADDRESS 5 YEARS BEFORE CENSUS difficult? Lack of necessary knowledge 4.5 per cent missing responses for 2001 question on usual residence 1 year before Census

OTHER MIGRATION TOPICS Country of birth Previous place of usual residence Ever resided abroad and year of entry Intention to stay

MIGRATION TOPICS Why is MIGRATION difficult? Sensitive Subjective Involve difficult concepts and definitions Arouse suspicion

LABOUR FORCE TOPICS: INDUSTRY Why is INDUSTRY difficult? Sensitive and intrusive Non response 7.8 per cent in employment 17.9 per cent not employed Lack of Knowledge

LABOUR FORCE TOPICS: HOURS WORKED Why is HOURS WORKED difficult? Concepts and definitions 8.0 per cent item non-response 19.8 per cent failed to answer correctly

LABOUR FORCE TOPICS: SIZE OF WORKFORCE Why is SIZE OF WORKFORCE difficult? Concepts and definitions Lack of knowledge 13.9 per cent item non-response – second worst question

HOUSING TOPICS: NUMBER OF ROOMS

CES Recommendations: A “room” is defined as a space in a housing unit enclosed by walls reaching from the floor to the ceiling or roof covering, at least to a height of 2 metres above the ground, of a size large enough to hold a bed for an adult (4 square metres at least) and at least 2 metres high over the major area of the ceiling. Thus, normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, habitable cellars and attics, servants' rooms, kitchens and other separate spaces used or intended for habitation all count as rooms if they correspond to the definition above. A kitchenette (i.e. a kitchen of less than 4 square metres), verandas, utility rooms (for example boiler rooms, laundry rooms) and lobbies do not count as rooms; nor do bathrooms and toilets (even if they are more than 4 square metres). Rooms without windows, for example cellars below ground – however large – should not generally be counted, unless they are functionally used for domestic purposes – which might include large lobbies with writing tables or internal bedrooms with no windows for example.

HOUSING TOPICS Why is NUMBER OF ROOMS difficult? Concepts and definitions 5.4 per cent item non-response – not bad BUT…….. 23 per cent reported incorrectly – nevertheless …….. Average number of rooms accurate FLOOR SPACE Concepts and definitions

HOUSING TOPICS Why is FLOOR SPACE difficult? Concepts and definitions Lack of knowledge

HOUSING TOPICS Why is FLOOR SPACE difficult? Concepts and definitions Lack of knowledge Why is PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION difficult? Lack of knowledge

CONCLUSIONS Item non-response from 2001 Census, England and Wales Professional qualifications 17.2 Size of workforce 13.9 Hours worked 8.0 Workplace address 7.8 Industry 7.8 Religion 7.7 Supervisor status 6.8 Employment status 6.5 Means of travel to work 6.3 Educational qualifications 6.2 Provision of care 6.1

THE MOST DIFFICULT TO MEASURE? Income Sexual identity Disability