1. Overview and challenges in the use of administrative data in official statistics IAOS Conference Shanghai, October 2008 Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Statistics Finland

2. October 20082Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Outline General preconditions Statistics and administration Use of administrative data Common problems and solutions Discussion on benefits Few words about the future

3. October 20083Heli Jeskanen-Sundström About the use of administrative data at Statistics Finland Long experience, since the 1970 population census First in social and demographic statistics, nowadays more and more also in business and environmental statistics Statistics Finland is a ”heavy user”: about 96% of input data comes from administrative sources (as measured in number of statistical units times number of variables) Combined use of administrative and survey data is very common Totally register-based population census since 1990

4. October 20084Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Preconditions Universal ID-schemes -Persons -Organisations -Buildings, apartments Acceptance by the people, business and administration WIDE use Strict confidentiality in statistics Up-to-date legislation - statistical law - personal information protection Well developed IT infrastructure in administration Possibility to use in statistics, also to COMBINE

5. October 20085Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Statistics and administration The use of administrative data creates a strong link between OS and administration Dependence of OS on administrative authorities increases Close and continuous co-operation and proper co- ordination needed Assessment of the quality of AD before any statistical use Continuous monitoring of changes is necessary Borderline between OS and administration should be clear Only one-way data flow: from administration to statistics

6. October 20086Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Use of administrative data in different statistical domains Most common in business statistics tax data, trade registers, customs authorities’ data files, payment control data of central banks... Social and demographic statistics tax data, data from pension and social security systems, population registers around 20 countries use or plan to use administrative data in the next population census round Environmental statistics new opportunities to use administrative data

7. October 20087Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Ways of utilising administrative data As an identification tool of statistical units For the updating of statistical registers As sampling frames and updates As basic data as such To supplement information obtained with surveys As part of combined data collection For register estimations To improve the estimation of variables For the imputation of statistical data For non-response control and research To produce completely new structural and change statistics

8. October 20088Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Some common problems and solutions Timeliness of administrative data Limited data content Coverage of administrative data  combined data collection of administrative data and surveys Definitions and concepts differ from statistical ones  quality and usability of administrative data should be carefully analysed Conclusion: decision of using administrative data should be done by statisticians on a case by case basis

9. October 20089Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Estimated costs of population censuses, 2000 census round Source: Eurostat

10. October 200810Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Discussion on benefits: win-win-win Cost savings for official statistics, especially in case of register based population census Some cost savings to NSI’s in other data collection, but not necessarily any net cost benefits Lowered response burden to enterprises, but not so much to households (except in case of population census) Quality and relevance of statistics can be improved Researchers and other users gain a lot

11. October 200811Heli Jeskanen-Sundström User Needs (EU, national users) Data Collection (combined source, mixed mode) Registers (95%) Web-forms (paper forms) Direct Data Collection (5%) Interviews (CAPI,CATI) Administrative registers Private-sector data sources Common ID-system Creation of Unified Data Warehouses Common identification system data storage metadata (classifications, concepts,…) Data combination processing Production of Statistics Statistics 1 Statistics 2 Statistics 3 Statistics 4. 200 Statistics Process desing and control Quality assurance and quality management Analysis Dissemination of Statistics (unified, multi-channel) Statistical DataBases Statistical Releases Publications Special compilations Combined source, mixed mode data collection and the general process model

12. October 200812Heli Jeskanen-Sundström Thank you for your kind attention Use of Registers and Administrative Data Sources for Statistical Purposes Best Practices of Statistics Finland Can be downloaded in pdf-format in address http://tilastokeskus.fi/censusbyregisters A joint Nordic publication “Register-based statistics in the Nordic countries - Review of best practices with focus on population and social statistics” (Can be downloaded in pdf-format from UNSD web site: UNSD->Census Knowledge Base->Census Methodology- >Register-based census)