joint un-ece/eurostat meeting on population and housing censuses geneva, 13-15 may 2008 difficut to...
TRANSCRIPT
JOINT UN-ECE/EUROSTAT MEETING ON POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUSES
GENEVA, 13-15 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
INCOME
Response rates from 2007 Census Tests in England and Wales _________________________________________Area Percentage response (households)
_________________________________________________With With no Percentageincome income difference
_____________ _____________ _____________ ____________________
Camden 35.9 33.9 1.7Liverpool 45.7 42.4 3.3Stoke-on-Trent 55.2 52.9 2.3Bath 61.4 59.4 2.0Carmarthenshire 64.8 62.1 2.7
Total 47.5 44.6 2.9_______________________________________________________________
INCOME
INCOME
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
ETHNICITY
ETHNICITY2001 CensusEngland and Wales Scotland N IrelandWhite White British Scottish White Irish Other British Chinese Other White Irish Irish Traveller ----------------------- Other White IndianMixed 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 Bangladeshi Other Asian Chinese ------------------------ Other Asian --------------------------Black/Black British Black/Black Scottish Caribbean Caribbean African African Other Black 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
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 orientationInternational 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
MARITAL STATUS: CIVIL PARTNERSHIP
New terminology, perhaps ……..
• Civvied = Married• Civorced = Divorced• Departnered = Widowed
Any other suggestions?
DISABILITY
DISABILITY
Ireland’s 2006 Census question
Do you have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities
Yes No
(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
DISABILITY
Why is DISABILITY difficult?
• Sensitivity• Subjectivity• Difficult concepts and terminology
LANGUAGE
Why is LANGUAGE difficult?
• Subjectivity• Difficult concepts and terminology
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
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: 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
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