JOINT UN-ECE/EUROSTAT MEETING ON POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUSES

GENEVA, 28-30 MAY 2009

DETERMINING USER NEEDS FOR THE

2011 UK CENSUS

IAN WHITE, Office for National Statistics,

UNITED KNGDOM

FACTORS SHAPING THE 2011 UK CENSUS

• Evaluations of the 2001 Census and the lessons learned

• Requirements of users of census statistics

• International obligations arising from EU census regulations

• Advice and guidance of other international census agencies

• Changing society• Equality and diversity

legislation

SCOPE OF USER CONSULTATION

• Enumeration methodology• Local authority partnerships• Census topics and questions• Definitions• Classifications• Sampling• Planned tabulations• Geographic boundaries• Processing• Edit and imputation• Confidentiality and disclosure

control• Coverage and data quality• Dissemination of outputs

KEY USER COMMUNITIES IN THE UK• Central government • Local government• Health service providers• Public utility services• Academics and schools• Market researchers• Commercial and retail

sector• The Third Sector• General public• Parliament

CONSULTATION FORUMS

• Parliamentary Committees• Census Advisory Groups• Local Authority networks• Retail networks• User community groups• Bilateral meetings• Public consultation events• Conferences• Information Papers• Website

KEY THEMES FOR CONSULTATION

Enumeration methodologyLocal authority partnershipsCensus topics and questionsDefinitionsClassificationsSamplingPlanned tabulationsGeographic boundariesProcessingEdit and imputationConfidentiality and disclosure controlCoverage and data qualityDissemination of outputs

2011 UK CENSUS QUESTIONS

• Clear and demonstrated need• National importance• No other comparable source• Requirement for multivariate analysis• Comparability with 2001• Public acceptability and burden• No adverse impact on response• Reliable and accurate data• Cost of processing• Required only for statistical purposes

• Required by EU

2011 CENSUS QUESTIONS:What users wanted

All the 2001 Census questions

plus• Civil partnership status• National identity• Citizenship• Year of entry into UK• Intended length of stay in UK• Language• Second residence• Type of central heating• Number of bedrooms• Income• Sexual identity• Type of disability

OUTPUT GEOGRAPHY

2001 Census geographyField: 126,000 Enumeration Districts (200-350 households)Outputs: 223,000 Output Areas (OAs)

(target size 125 households) (minimum size 40 households)

Super Output Areas (SOAs)(Lower) 2,000-3,000 households(Middle) 5,000-10,000 households

(= LAU 2, NUTS 5)

OUTPUT GEOGRAPHY

2011 Census geography – minimum change

> 5 per cent of OAs (merges and splits)

> 0.5 per cent of Middle Level SOAs

OUTPUT GEOGRAPHY

2001 Census geographyField: 126,000 Enumeration Districts (200-350 households)Outputs: 223,000 Output Areas (OAs)

(target size 125 households) (minimum size 40 households)

Super Output Areas (SOAs)(Lower) 2,000-3,000 households(Middle) 5,000-10,000 households

(= LAU 2, NUTS 5)Administrative areas (NUTS 1-5), plus parishes, urban areas, National Parks, Parliamentary constituencies ….

STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE CONTROL

2011 Census methods under review• Record swapping (pre-tabular)• Over-imputation (pre-tabular)• Cell perturbation (post-tabular)Evaluation criteria include• Level of protection• Impact on data utility• Feasibility of implementationOutputs• Origin/destination flows• Microdata• Special areas and institutions

Consulting with users on final choice October 2009

OUTPUT DISSEMINATION

2011 output programme• Lessons learned from 2001 Census• Methodological and technological innovation• EU Requirements• New questions – new derived variables• Supporting metadata • Outputs for post-census area boundaries• Commissioned tables subject to statistical

disclosure controls • Funding• Unrestricted re-use and publication

OUTPUT DISSEMINATION

User consultation will include:• Flexibility of outputs via web-based hypercubes• Content of hypercubes• Population bases• Exact-fit geographies• Metadata• Microdata samples

“2011 Census output will be the most complex and comprehensive set of

population ever data produced” 2011 Census Output Strategy Review

Summary

2011 Census consultation covers• Topic content and questionnaire design• Strong working partnerships with local

authorities• New delivery and collection methods

including online completion• Flexible geographies• Output products and delivery• Statistical disclosure control methodology• Outsourcing and address checking• Identifying difficult areas• Coverage assessment and adjustment