1. DATA FROM ADMINISTRATIVE SOURCES
Juraj Riecan Director, UN-ESCWA Statistics Division

2. Registers used in statistics
Administrative registers
Transformation
Statistical registers
Designed for administrative use
Designed for statistical use
Available, ready for use
Maintained by the statistical office
Not adjusted to statistical needs
Following statistical concepts, classifications,...
Data source
Sampling frame, statistical units, editing,...

3. Examples of statistical registers
Business register
Population register
Register of statistical units
Register of buildings, dwellings
Register of enumeration districts

4. Administrative registers
Business registers (legal units)
Economic statistics
Agricultural registers / farms registers,...
Licenses to individual entrepreneurs
Tax and inland revenue registers
Customs and excise registers
Pension, social funds
Industrial chambers
Private / enterprise accounting records, etc.

5. Administrative registers
Civil registration
Social and demographic statistics
Population registers, residence registers
Employment office registers – jobseekers
Social and health insurance registers
Alien registration, work permits
Education system records
Health care system registers
Justice registers
Building registers
Municipalities

6. Transformation Administrative registers Statistical registers
Statistical data
Statistical surveys

7. Combining multiple sources
Identifiers
Personal ID numbers
Business identity numbers
Indirect identifiers
Name, father’s name, birth date, address,…
Company name, branch, address, owner,…
Statistical matching
Looking for “near” records
Discrimination analysis,…

8. When to use registers Push factors Pull factors Example:
Public perception of the reporting burden
Well organized registers
Good coverage
Legislative obligation to use registers
Cooperative attitude
Costs-benefits: available budget
Statistical concepts reflected
Example:
XBRL accounting language used by enterprises

9. To take into consideration
Dissuasive factors
Issues
Lack of a cooperative will
Differences in concepts
Bad quality of data in registers
Comparability over time
Technical obstacles
Updating, Coverage, Quality
Confidentiality concerns
Metadata
Examples:
Admin units ≠ Statistical units
Households ≠ Dwellings
Registered unemployment ≠ Survey unemployment

10. Confidentiality concerns
“Big Brother” public perception
=> One way data retrieval only
Secrecy imposed by holders of registers
Linking sources increases disclosure risk

11. Conclusions Registers may be useful, but probably not the only source
Consider developing statistical registers
e.g. statistical business register
Analyse your needs, do not copy others
Combine sources – administrative registers and statistical surveys

12. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia