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