New developments concerning regional and urban statistics
New developments in National Statistical Officesconcerning regional and urban statistics
Content
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Germany
Estonia
Greece
Spain
France
Ireland
Italy
Cyprus
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Hungary
The Netherlands
Austria
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovenia
Slovak Republic
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom
Croatia
Turkey
Norway
Switzerland
Belgium
Regional data
As from 1 January 2008, the Belgian NUTS level 3 will count 44 districts, since Verviers has been cut into two regions in order to respect the linguistic communities. It will be a challenge to take this breakdown into account in our data collection process.
Urban Audit
Two principal changes affected the Urban Audit data collection. The first is the modification of the City of Liege, which no longer coincides with the commune in question, but which now includes six neighbouring communes. The second change concerns Namur, now considered as an Urban Audit city.
All variables for these 2 new cities had to be collected for 2001 and 2004, which raised certain problems and generated additional work.
The data collection within the statistical office did not cause major concerns. This is however not the case for the external data collection.
- There were severe problems to find the responsible institution and the contact persons.
- The two cities do not use the same definitions
- They do not feel concerned by this project (above all in the communes that form the City of Liege)
In the future, we hope to be able to improve the collection of certain not available variables by accentuating our research. Over the years, the main problemis known: time saving.
The next socio-economic census is envisaged only for 2011, it will be done on the basis of administrative files. The data of the variables collected via the census will above all estimates. We think that several variables will no longer be available in the next census.
We envisage the distribution of the collected data on our website.
Bulgaria
Since 1stJanuary Bulgaria has become a Member-State of EU and one of the first evidences (in statistics) was the duty to implement the revised NUTS classification even without proper legislation. This caused some inconvenience in gathering and transmitting data for some statistical fields. We hope that Regulation 1059 will come into force as soon as possible to avoid that kind of problems. During the year we communicated closely with Eurostat in order to prepare the exact changes in the Regulation.
Not related with the EU memberships, since April 2007 the NSI has a new top management. The new President, Mr. Stoyan Tsvetkov, is a prominent and respected statistician and this will influence the strategic directions for further improvement of the statistical system in Bulgaria. We hope that regional dimension will get the proper place and role in this modernisation. So far, no major changes are done in the NSI’s organisation, but there is a need to update the regional structure strategy.
In summer 2007 the IVth phase of Urban Audit started and a new city is included in the list of participating cities. That way Bulgaria participates with 8 cities. Now all the procedures (defining the territorial units) are repeated for the newly included city of Stara Zagora.
In 2007 a revision of the regional GDP series for the period 2002-2005 was done. Revised data were sent to Eurostat.
CzechRepublic
No crucial changes happened in the Czech Statistical Office, apart from further centralisation and more budgetary cuts.
We have to deal with the changes of territorial units as a consequence of the state administration reform, establishing de facto a new LAU-1 level. We still have over 6 000 municipalities for the 10million population; their changes occur every year.
Our central web site has modified its layout. Apart from this, all of our 14 regional offices (NUTS-3 level) control the content of their own sites.
Feeding the public database by regional data is continuing. Our internal regional databases have been released for free and they reached the largest access of our web site (20 000 hits in August 2007).
A new law for building and territorial planning, which operates with the concept of sustainable development, has obliged the CzSO to provide a long list of explicitly given variables on the LAU-2 level.
Finally, the problem, which increasingly influences our daily life, is a very prohibitive protection of individual data.
Denmark
On 1 January 2007 an radical administrative reform was accomplished. 271 municipalities and their local council became 98 larger municipalities and councils (with larger responsibilities). At the same time fourteen regions were reduced to 5 regions.
Even though Statistics Denmark has been prepared of the change at the geographical units, it still causes a lot of work in relation to dissemination, and in relation to make it possible (for payment) to create timelines so it is possible to compare between the administrative units before and after the reform. A lot of work has been done in order to face the challenge of this administrative reform.
In general it has been carried out with success.
On 1 July 2007 Statistics Denmark has changed the compilation of population statistics. Due to the change it's now possible more effectively to consider the cancellations and adjustments made by the local registrations offices in their reports to CPR (Central Person Register) from where Statistics Denmark receive extracts.
Statistics Denmark has from the 1. January 2007 centralized the service by selling statistic into one division in order to increase the earnings. Furthermore it should improve the quality of the help desk for costumers with specific statistical issues and needs.
Germany
Census
In 2011 Germany will participate in the next EU-wide census round, and preparations continue to be a major project for the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) and the Statistical Offices of the “Länder” in the coming years. In contrast to the last German census of 1987, data for the upcoming census will be mainly derived from registers (e.g. from the “Melderegister”), supplemented by sample surveys.
Under the German EU Council Presidency the draft of the Regulation on population and housing censuses was negotiated in the Council working party “statistics”, where a compromise agreement between the MemberStates and the Commission was achieved in June 2007.
After that, in Germany the Deutsche Bundestag passed the “Zensusvorbereitungsgesetz2011”, i.e. the law for the preparation of the census in Germany, specially for setting up the address and building registers. The law for carrying out the census in Germany - the“Zensusanordnungsgesetz 2011” - is in preparation.
Projects with particular relevance for regional statistics
a) Destatis task force working on models related to spatial information and geodata and how the data can be made available in a standardised format.
b) Development of a “Gemeinde” directory information system (GV-ISys) with the aim of making available all data with regional reference; in the future, this system will be linked to a GIS (Geographical Information System) and is scheduled to go online in 2008.
Within this framework the regional classification will be standardised also for the level of the “Gemeindeverbände” (LAU 1) throughout Germany in 2008.
c) Germany participated in the Eurostat project MARS (Methodological Database for Regional Statistics) and supplied metadata on German regional statistics to Eurostat.
Products
a) Update of the „Online Atlas of Regional Statistics“ ( now providing about 320 interactive maps for NUTS 3 regions in Germany.
b) DVD “Statistik regional”, edition 2007, available in November 2007, only in German, and DVD “Statistik local”, edition 2007, only in German, with German “Kreise” and “Gemeinden”. These can be ordered via link to “Publikationsservice” within
c) Online database “Regionaldatenbank Deutschland” – Genesis online regional.This is a parallel product to DVD „Statistik regional“. The English version is currently limited to dialogue and navigation.
d) An online atlas of indicators (Indikatorenatlas) for regions in Germany will be available about beginning of 2008.
Urban Audit
In the Urban Audit, the KOSIS association of the German cities involved (NUAC Klaus Trutzel) organises the data collection from federal and state statistics, the municipalities and other sources. Data collection from the state level, including special evaluations and estimations from the German Microcensus, is nearly complete, and from the cities it is in its last phase. Some of the variables and the requested historical data for 2001 seem to cause problems. In this round of data collection and in the future, the German NUAC is supported by statisticians from three other cities.
15 German cities organised a “coordinated perception survey” in parallel to DG Regio’s perception survey of 75 European cities, applying the same questionnaire, the same methods (telephone interviews) and the same sample size ( 500). Based on a mutual agreement, DG Regio and the German cities involved exchanged the data so that the complete set for 90 cities can be analysed by both parties.
Estonia
Publications of regional statistics had as warm welcome by the public as before. Two publications were issued: “Counties in Figures” and “Cities and Rural Municipalities in Figures”. The positive sides of the publication “Regional Statistics of Estonia”, published for the last time in 2005, were substantially applied in the changed publication “Counties in Figures” with the increased capacity of the analytical part. For the first time a CD was added to the publication. A separate chapter on CD presents comparative data for regions of Baltic States.
In order to serve better the users of statistics, the Regional Development Database have been started to complete with data at NUTS 3 level. The Regional Development Database has been completed with detailed methodological information (e.g. definitions, applied methods, classifications) also.
The formation of the population and social statistics system was started on the basis of administrative data sources. The aim is to use excerpts from more essential databases in order to produce more regional statistics and improve the quality of statistical databases. The project is in its starting period but further on the quality of background attributes of vital events (field of activity, education, etc.) should improve considerably. Likewise implementation of administrative data enables to produce essential socioeconomic statistics at the LAU2 level.
The vision of the next Population Census (2011) was compiled. Although it is impossible to arrange the next Population Census totally register based, Statistics Estonia plans to utilise four main registers in its preparation period: Population Register, Taxpayers’ Register, Register of Construction Works and Information System of Estonian Education. Population is going to be interviewed first via Internet (e-census), and then interviews by means of laptops follow.
In 2007 the revision of time series of GDP for the years 1995–1999 was continued according to the updated methodology.
Statistics Estonia participated in Cities’ and RuralMunicipalities’ Days with the aim to introduce the possibilities of using regional statistics to the employees of local governments.
A new Information Centre of Statistics Estonia was opened in Tartu — statistics is now better available in the area of Southern Estonia as well.
Regional statisticians have had international cooperation with statisticians from many countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Western Balkan countries, Armenia etc.
Statistics Estonia and Statistics Society organized the conference “Statistical literacy”.
The available data for the project Urban Audit 2006/2007 have been transmitted to Eurostat. Two last big tasks have to be done: check data and compile a final report.
Greece
The National Statistical Service of Greece (NSSG) has developed a series of projects in order to cope with the increased users’ needs in Greece and abroad.
The layout of our central website has been modified. New links and services have been added. Our website (Greek and English version) is updated on a regular basis with new Press Releases, latest news or pre-defined tables with data on national and regional level. However, the English version of our website is not exactly equal to the Greek version, but serious efforts are made to translate the remaining tables in English.
There are more e-applications now available on our homepage, such as the following:
The “Athena 2001” e-application, which is the outcome of the joint co-operation between the NSSG and the Regional Analysis Division of the Foundation for Research and Technology. It is available in Greek and English. The user can create an Excel table by making a selection from a variable list, a region list and areas. The available population references are the de facto population 1991, the de facto population 2001 and the de jure population 2001. It is available at the link
The online Library Catalogue (OPAC-Open Public Access Catalogue). You can search and retrieve information concerning availability of printed material from the library catalogue (Greek publications and from all the International Organisations) in a user easy and friendly way. The e-application can be found at the following link:
Our new internet portal is still under construction. At the end of this year it will be released to the public. It is designed to contain statistical data on several domains by NUTS level 0 to 3, based on confidentiality, the metadata of the surveys, the variables and the classifications used, thematic maps and also publications. The portal will have several possibilities:
- A new on-line system of electronic orders of data and publications will be available to users.
- A new redesigned and unified Business Register will be constructed with a mechanism for the electronic data collection from the enterprises and vice versa. The e-questionnaires will be available on-line to enlisted users to be completed and forwarded electronically.
- Data on households and population will be collected through telephone surveys.
This database will contain data on national and regional level and it will be available in Greek and English.
All Media Communications and the NSSG, along with other sources, have developed a website, available in Greek and English, to users that are interested in the most important economic aspects and leading indicators of our country. Data are available to users by subscription. See
This application is divided into four categories:
1. The Economic Barometer (developments in the economy’s main indices)
2. The Greek Economy in Figures
3. The Greek Regions (years available 1960-2007 up to NUTS III level)
4. Banks
Finally, the NSSG and the National Centre for Social Surveys have developed a project called “The Panorama of the Population Censuses’ data 1991-2001”. This is only available in Greek and can be installed on PCs (it is not a web application). The Panorama avails of all the variables used in the censuses, as well as the socio-demographic indices and levels of geographic analysis (up to LAU 2) projected also on a GIS application. Users can create their own tables, in excel format, by selecting variables/criteria on population, households in the greatest permitted analysis. Users can create tables with comparable data from the latest two censuses.
PUBLICATIONS
The NSSG designs, collects and processes data from a variety of studies, censuses, statistical surveys and presents them in statistical publications, which are divided in general and special publications
The general publications (in Greek and English) are
- The “Monthly Statistical Bulletin” (August 2007, latest in circulation)
- The “Statistical Yearbook of Greece” (2005, latest in circulation), which is in fact a Regional Yearbook, as it contains data on almost all thematic themes on the sectors of economic and social activity, on national level, as well as, on NUTS level 1 to 3).
- The “Concise Yearbook of Greece” (2006, latest in circulation) which is a “mini-pocket” version of the “Statistical Yearbook of Greece”. It is now available (the 2005 version), free of charge, in PDF format, on our website at the following link:
Most of our special publications, related link: , include regional data.
“Greece in numbers, 2007”
It is available in Greek / English and it covers the most important economic aspects on national level
Since 2006, data on Population Census 2001, as well as, on the Building Census 2000, can be downloaded, free of charge, from our website . These tables cover all the core topics, up to LAU 2, according to the UNECE/EUROSTAT recommendations and are available, for the time being only in Greek Population data broken down by building block are also available to users upon request.
Progress in URBAN AUDIT data collection
Almost all the available variables for the 3rd round of UA data collection have been transmitted to Eurostat via e-DAMIS. The quality control of the variables and indicators and the final reports have not yet been done.
We have encountered some difficulties in co-operating with some sources outside the NSSG, whereas some others have already forwarded their data to us.
A special URBAN AUDIT link, with all the data collected by the NSSG (all three rounds), will be developed and presented in our website by the end of the project.
Spain
The main event is the debut of our reformed Statistical Office in Madrid, a whole building with a very modern design. Concerning regional and urban affairs, we have to deal with the changes of territorial units as a consequence of the approval of the new NUTS classification in the Balearic and CanariesIslands.
The third round of Urban Audit project has suffered a little pause in our deliveries of data to Eurostat due to a delay on the estimations' task by the Autonomous University of Madrid (our collaborating partner). We have initiated a contract to develop a GIS (Geographical Information System) based on the urban data and we are starting to put into action an ambitious dissemination plan regarding urban information. We have created a work group with the Health Ministry to collaborate in the Euro-Urhis project (to develop a system of urban health indicators).
Regarding data collection, a major change has happened in INE since the last meeting of this working group. Collecting methods for short-term surveys have been modified due to the project named "regional specialization in data collection methods applied to short-term economic surveys" (launched in September of 2006).