Using administrative sources for official statistics:

With an application to Vietnam

Dr Nghiem Thi VanDepartment of Integrated StatisticsGeneral Statistics Office of Vietnam

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Main contents

1. Introduction2. Concept, types, advantages and

disadvantages of administrative sources

3. Situations of using administrative sources for statistical purposes in some developed countries

4. The application in Vietnam5. References 2

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1. IntroductionThe importance of using administrative sources

for statistical purposes.To diversify the ways of data collectionTo generate statistics with regards to good quality,

timeliness, lowered costs and less burden for interviewees.

Literature reviewHoffman (1995): using administrative is inevitableBrackstone (2007): the types of administrative

sources, a way to supplement the surveys.Penneck (2007): the use of administrative sources

for statistical purposes in United Kingdom.UNECE: the statistical system based on

administrative registers in the Nordic countries.3

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2. ConceptsAdministrative sources: collections of data held by

government agencies having functions to collect and use for purposes of administering taxes, benefits or services.

Brackstone (1987): 4 distinguishing characteristics 1) Agent that supplies the data to the statistical office

and unit to which data related are different.2) Data were originally collected for a definite non-

statistical purpose3) Complete coverage of target population is the aim4) Control of methods.

General concept: administrative sources contain information initially not for purpose of data collection.

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2. Types (Cont.)

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Tax data: Personal Income Tax, Value Added Tax, Business/profit tax, Property Tax, Import/Export Taxes;

Social security data: Contributions, Benefits, and Pensions; Health and educational records; Registration systems for persons, businesses, property, vehicles; Identity cards/passports/driving licenses;

Electoral registers, Register of farms, Local council registers, Building permits, Licensing systems such as cable television, Sale of restricted goods, Published business accounts, Internal accounting data; Private businesses with data holdings like credit agencies, business analysts, telephone directories, and retailers with store cards.

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Cost savings Reducing the burden of providing feedback

information High frequency without increasing the

burden of providing feedback information to lower costs incurred

Timeliness Image of statistical agencies to public

community

2. Advantages (Cont.)

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2. Disadvantages (Cont.) Differences in definitions between

administrative and statistical agencies Differences in classification and period Lack of confidence of statistician who does

not collect data directly.

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3. Using administrative sources in some developed countries

England• Linked data source between the National Statistics

Office (ONS) and the Department of Employment Research and Retirement

• The Work and Pensions Longitunal Study (WPLS) combines benefits and program information held by the Department of Employment and Pensions on its own customers, with the records of employment from Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

• The Neighbourhood Statistics website http://www.neighborhood

• The Inter-Department of Business Registration (IDBR)

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3. (Cont.)

The Nordic CountriesBegun to use the administrative register in the

field of population, housing and business registration since the 1970s.

Administrative records in census is the last step of the process of producing data.

The system of uniform personal code is used for almost administrative registers

A uniform code system for business register, address register, housing and shelter

Statistical Offices deal with administrative agencies over access of administrative records.

The register-based business uses for statistical purposes such as residence, housing, business and business register

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4. Application to the case of Vietnam2 ways of data collection in Vietnam:

Statistical Report and Statistical SurveysStatistical reports: ministries/government

agencies; provincial statistical offices; corporations; state-own enterprised with own-accounted, administrative agencies, FDI companies.

Statistical Surveys: Monthly-survey: 9 Quarterly-surveys: 4

Yearly-surveys : 11

2-years-period surveys: 5

5-year-period surveys : 5

10-years-period surveys: 2

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Administrative Sources State Agencies

Tax data including personal income tax, value added tax, business tax, property tax, taxes, export, import

General Taxation Office and General Customs Office

Data on social security: insurance premiums, health insurance, retirement

Vietnam Social Insurance

The record of health, education Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and Training

Business Registration System Provincial Planning and Investment Office, Ministry of Planning and Investment

The type of data on identification cards, passports, driver's licenses, vehicle

Ministry of Security

Building Permit Construction Provincial Construction Office, Ministry of Construction

Registration farm Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Business-registerd Accounts and corporate finance

Ministry of Finance

Equity ownership of the business, such as credit representatives, business analysts, telephone directories, retailers

Ministry of Finance

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4. Application (Cont.)

Split Population Approach

Population

Estimation Administrative Sources

Census, Surveys

Official statistics

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4. Application (Cont.)

Split Data Approach: administrative sources are used to provide information for some variables of population

Pre-filled questionnaire: Questionnaire are pre-filled using administrative sources and checked when conducting surveys.

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4. Application (Cont.)

Situation in Vietnam:The lack of a common identification number

system between government agencies in Vietnam.

GSO can use administrative sources at a small scope for trial at first.

5. ReferencesBrackstone, G. J. (1987) “Issues in the use of

administrative records for statistical purposes” Survey Methodology, Vol. 13(1), pp. 29-43 – Statistics Canada,

Hoffmann, E. (1995) “We must use administrative data for official statistics – but how should we use them?” Statistical Journal of the United Nations ECE 12 (1995) 41-48,

Penneck, S. (2007) “Using administrative data for statistical purposes” papers presented at the ICES-III, June 18-21, 2007,

United Nations (2011) “Using administrative and secondary sources for official statistics: A Handbook of principles and practices”,

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (2007) “Registered-based statistics in the Nordic countries – Review of best practices with focus on population and social statistics”.

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