1. SESSION 13. INTERNATIONAL COLLECTION OF VITAL STATISTICS
Civil Registration Process: Place, Time, Cost, Late Registration
UNITED NATIONS STATISTICS DIVISION
Workshop on Operation of Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and
Identity Management Systems and the Production of Vital Statistics Reports for the Eastern Mediterranean Countries (Group 2)
Tunis Tunisia, March 2018

2. UN international demographic data collection
This mandate comes from the earliest times of the Organization
Data collection based on sending a set of questionnaires to national statistics authorities
This mandate comes from the earliest times of the Organization
The first yearbook corresponds to 1948 ; and throughout time, all information has been migrated. The result is the current database, that contains all historic information until the current days.
The process to collect information is basically sending questionnaires each year to the national statistical offices.
This data collection largely depends on the response that we get from countries.

3. Major vehicles for dissemination of population and vital statistics
UN Demographic Yearbook (DYB) both in print and electronic
Population and Vital Statistics Report
UN Data website
DYB, as its name suggests, it is a yearly publication. We usually publish at the end of the year for last year. Say, it is November 2017, we just passed the cutoff date of incorporating new data from countries into the DYB of 2016.
DYB special topics
Population and Vital Statistics Report is a simpler version of DYB, containing only three tables, covering population and three vital events, births, deaths and infant deaths. Most of the vital statistics data come from national civil registration system. Data not derived from civil registration could be official estimates from censuses, sample survey or demographic analyses.
Database updated twice a year

4. Demographic Yearbook (DYB)
Data collected
Metadata collected
Vital statistics
Population estimates
International migration
Population and housing censuses
General characteristics
Economic characteristics
Housing
Household characteristics
Quality
Methods
DYB Questionnaires are dispatched to NSOs
in excel (xml) format
customized for each country
instructions and metadata worksheets
data tabulations pre-filled with existing data
Questionnaires on vital statistics, population estimates, and migration flows are dispatched to NSOs every year, whereas the census questionnaires follow the census schedule of each country.
The template of the questionnaire is available online at:

5. Demographic Yearbook (DYB) -- Vital statistics questionnaire
Collection of 43 tables classified in 10 sections:
1. VS summary by urban/rural residence
2. Live births
3. Fertility rates
4. Life Tables
5. Deaths
6. Infant deaths (deaths under 1 year of age)
7. Foetal deaths and Late foetal deaths
8. Legally induced abortions
9. Marriages
10. Divorces
8. Legally induced abortions
Data processing and quality control
2. Live births
The questionnaire is comprised of many tabulations covering a wide range of vital events according to the Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System
43 tables organised in 10 sections
3.Fertility rates

6. Data Demographic Yearbook (DYB) -- Vital statistics questionnaire
1. VS summary by urban/rural residence
Data
This is an example of a table in the VS summary in the questionnaires sent by UNSD to NSOs.
In the upper part, countries enter their new or revised data, while in the lower part, they can see what UNSD has already in their database

7. Meta Data Quality of Vital Statistics
Demographic Yearbook (DYB) -- Vital statistics questionnaire
Meta Data
Quality of Vital Statistics
Basis of tabulation
Estimated completeness
Source of vital statistics
National definitions of Urban / Rural areas
Grounds for legally induced abortions
Methods used in life tables
Minimum legal marriage age
As part of the annual vital statistics data collection, NSOs are requested to provide as well, an estimate of completeness of the reported births, deaths, infant deaths, marriages, divorces (vital statistics).
The completeness of vital statistics, depends respectively on the coverage and completeness of the registration of these vital events.
For the purpose of Demographic Yearbook, an estimate of more than or equal to 90 per cent refers to “complete” data, otherwise “incomplete”.

8. Demographic Yearbook (DYB)
Completeness and accuracy of data
Differences in statistical definitions
Diverse tabulation procedures
Figures coming from different types of sources
International comparability depends on:
After questionnaires are submitted by countries, UNSD staff reviews the data and process it in order to ensure its quality and to maximise international comparability.
International comparability depends on:
Completeness and accuracy of data produced by each country
Differences in statistical definitions of vital events (differ from country to country)
Diverse tabulation procedures: for ex. countries using non-conventional age groups (9-13)
Type of source: Official estimates coming from sample surveys, which makes it difficult to disaggregate data and it’s subject to sampling errors

9. How complete are the data sent from countries?

10. Percentage of countries that sent data to UNSD
Total deaths by period and region
Total births by period and region
Percentage of countries that sent data to UNSD for years
Source: DYB database, consulted 16 Ocotober 2016
This is the response by regions to the collection of UNSD. In the upper graph we have the main dataset on fertility, and in the lower part graphs refer to the main mortality data set.
In average, the world’s response has been steady, around 70% of countries (= around 170 countries/areas) sending data on total number of births and deaths.
For both birth and death, Asia is close to the average of the world.
These figures are only for the most basic tables for births and deaths. For other tables, there is a lower responses.
We’ll now have a look at response at the country level.
Source: DYB database, consulted mid-October 2016

11. VS tables provided in the last five years
Total no. of tables in VS questionnaire = 38
(data for )
Average number of returned tables = 8.8
Average “VS response rate” = 23%
We have seen during these days all the efforts that countries are doing to improve their systems, but there is still a long way. For some countries, these efforts are still not tangible in terms of producing and submitting tabulations to the international collection of data.
Source: DYB database as of 12 March 2018

12. A look at specific tables, last 5 years
If we go into even more details, and have a look at specific tables submitted by countries in the last 5 years:
We see a rather complete panorama for most countries for a basic death table. There are 3 countries that have not been able to produce these data
Here I would like to point out that if a disaggregation does not apply or is not available in a particular country, for example U/R residence, the NSOs can submit parcial information. In this case, it is possible to submit deaths by sex, excluding U/R residence. We will take all data that is submitted to us. Thus, countries should not be discouraged if UNSD questionnaires contain too many disaggregations, or disaggregations that are not available.
Source: DYB database as of 12 March 2018

13. A look at specific tables, last 5 years
If we look at other vital events, such as infant deaths, which have difficulties in being captured by the civil registration system, the data become even more scarce.
5 countries that have not submitted any data in the last 5 years
Source: DYB database as of 12 March 2018

14. A look at specific tables, last 5 years
Adding one extra variable: age
Data become much more scarce
4 countries that have not submitted any data in the last 5 years
Source: DYB database as of 12 March 2018

15. What is the quality of data from countries?
We have seen so far the response from countries in terms of quantity, now we’ll have a look at the quality of the data sent to UNSD
So, let’s talk about quality!

16. SDG
Proportion of countries with death registration completeness of at least 75% and birth registration completeness of at least 90%,
World:
Deaths = 58
Births = 56
Subsaharan Africa:
Deaths = 17
Births = 15
Western Asia and Northern Africa:
Deaths = 60
Births = 60
LAC:
Deaths = 70
Births = 62

17. Availability and quality of VS

18. Availability and quality of VS

19. Availability and quality of VS

20. Availability and quality of VS

21. Availability and quality of VS
Latest available information as of December 2017
UNSD(1): information collected by UNSD through the DYB questionnaire
UNSD(2): Information collected by UNSD through workshops
MICS: Information collected through UNICEF’s Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey
DHS :ICF Macro Demographic and Health Survey

22. Importance of providing data and metadata for dissemination
Enabling social and public health studies
Informed decisions
Representation in the international setting
International comparability
Before reaching the end of this presentation, I would like to highlight the importance of having country data disseminated at the international level:
Being able to compile, produce and disseminate vital statistics enables Social and public health studies : academic institutions and other organizations such as NGOs gain access for research. UNSD is disseminating your data to a whole different range of users, that might not have access to it otherwise (due to language barriers, or other reasons).
VS as official statistics have the ultimate end Informing decisions: by having your data being disseminated by UNSD, this end is not only achieved at the national level, but also at the regional and global level. International and regional organisations, as well as aid institutions, use readily available data in order to plan their work programmes and allocation of technical assistance, resources, etc.
In addition, Countries obtain statistical representation in international setting: consider providing data as an opportunity to share progress.
And last but not least, having your data disseminated at the international level improves International comparability : for global publications, for monitoring of development indicators (such as the recently approved SDG, or the graduation criteria for least developed countries).

23. Thank You Спасибо Gracias Merci 谢谢 ﺷﻜﺮﺍﹰ demostat@un.org