Economic censuses and their role in compilation of economic statistics Results of the UNSD survey on country practices in conduct of economic census

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Economic censuses and their role in compilation
of economic statisticsResults of the UNSD
survey on country practices in conduct of
economic census

• Regional Workshop for African Countries on
  Compilation of Basic Economic Statistics
• Pretoria, South Africa
• 23-26 July 2007

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Background information

• Integrated approach to compilation of basic
  economic statistics
• Decision of the 37th session of the Statistical
  Commission
• UNSD survey on Economic Census
• Organization
• Questionnaire

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UNSD survey on Economic Census

• Purpose
• To identify countries general policies with
  regard to the economic censuses
• To identify other approaches to compilation of
  basic economic statistics used by countries
• Results
• Presented as a background document for the 38th
  session of the Statistical Commission
• Individual country replies as well as the
  aggregated tables posted at the UNSD website
• http//unstats.un.org/unsd/economic_stat/Economic_
  Census/Economic_Census.htm

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Main conclusions

• Economic census as an important approach to
  compilation of basic economic statistics
• Practices regarding the organization of economic
  census vary significantly among countries and
  show a lack of unified approach
• Economic census is conducted as an economy-wide
  census
• Economic census is conducted for individual
  economic sectors/activities only
• Two definitions of economic census are being in
  use
• Broad definition - implies a complete enumeration
  of all economic units in a very large part of the
  economy
• Narrow definition - refers to a complete
  enumeration of only a take all strata in an
  economy-wide surveys
• Need of clarification and harmonization of
  terminology

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Percentage of countries using economic census and
having plans to conduct economic census in the
future
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Main conclusions (cont.)

• Periodicity
• International statistical standards recommend
  economic censuses to be conducted at regular
  intervals of 5 years
• New tendency yearly censuses
• Scope
• Excluded - agricultural units, general government
  units and economic activities/units specifically
  determined by countries

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Main conclusions (cont.)

• Coverage
• All units irrespective of their size in terms of
  number of persons employed or turnover
• Units above certain threshold
• Comparing with other regions, countries in Africa
  tend to apply more often a threshold
• Units below the threshold are covered through
  sample surveys, administrative data sources and
  other approaches
• General obstacle coverage of small units

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Other approaches to compilation of basic economic
statistics

• Availability of a good business register
• Register based survey information
• Combination of annual and more frequent surveys
  with information from administrative data sources

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Percentage of countries using other approaches
for compilation of basic economic statistics
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Selected survey results

• Response rate
• Overall response rate 54.3
• Response rate of African Countries 31.5
• Response rate of participating countries 66.7
• Percentage of countries conducting economic
  census
• Overall 34.2
• Developing countries 49.2
• African countries 35.3

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Selected survey results (cont.)

• Percentage of countries having plans to conduct
  economic census
• Overall 48.2
• Developing countries 66.7
• African countries 76.5
• Percentage of countries applying a threshold in
  economic census
• Overall 46.2
• Developing countries 45.2
• African countries 83.3

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UNSD work programme on economic census

• UNSD is working towards identification and
  promotion of good practices in economic census in
  order to assist countries
• Preparation of a technical report on national
  practices in economic census, focusing on needs
  and experience of developing countries in Africa
• Handbook on good practices in economic census
• Technical assistance

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Thank you