Studies in Methods (Ser. F)

This publication provides national statistical agencies with guidance on collecting, processing, analysing and disseminating individual-level data on asset ownership (including dwellings, land and financial assets) for the production of gender statistics related to three objectives: 1) measuring the gender asset gap, or the differential prevalence of women’s and men’s asset ownership; 2) measuring the gender wealth gap, or the share of total wealth held by women; and 3) in households where more than one member is interviewed, understanding how asset ownership and wealth are distributed, by sex, within households. The publication introduces the concepts, definitions and data requirements for measuring asset ownership and control from a gender perspective and provides guidance on planning, organizing and implementing a household survey, or appending a module on asset ownership to a nationally-representative household survey. It also presents a set of indicators for monitoring women’s and men’s ownership and control of physical and financial assets at global and national levels, and it explains how data analysis can be employed to answer policy-relevant questions on asset ownership.

The Handbook aims to raise awareness of the importance of short-term statistics in meeting the information needs for explaining and monitoring rapid changes in economic and financial conditions. It does this by setting out the standards and recommendations for compiling short-term statistics and accompanying metadata, elaborating the methodological descriptions and the use of individual short-term statistics, explaining the statistical and analytical properties of short-term statistics and how they relate to an integrated set of quarterly national accounts and component data. It is targeted at compilers and users of short-term statistics in national statistics offices and national statistical systems, regional and international organizations and other relevant organizations, including private sector organizations.

The International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Compilers Manual, Revision 1 (IMTS 2010-CM) supports statisticians in countries in the implementation of the new and updated recommendations contained in International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Concepts and Definitions, Revision 3 (IMTS 2010). The Manual contains further and more detailed explanation of certain recommendations and provides practical guidance for trade statistics compilers by describing good or best practices applicable under different circumstances. However, the Manual is also a very valuable source of information for all users and analysts of trade statistics as it highlights critical issues of trade statistics and its compilation and describes existing country practises in numerous examples. Readers will gain an inside look in trade statistics, allowing an in depth understanding of issues and practises.

This Handbook aims to provide practical guidance on the calculation and allocation of the production of various types of financial services and issues related to the compilation of the financial account and balance sheets by institutional sector in the context of from-whom-to-whom relationships. The Handbook complements the 2008 SNA and related manuals, handbooks and guides. The concepts are described and defined in line with the 2008 SNA. Where appropriate, illustrative worked examples with step-by-step guidance are provided in the Handbook to give compilers and users a better picture of how to apply and interpret the various concepts. The Handbook is useful for staff working in national statistical offices, national central banks, international organizations and other institutions engaged in collecting, compiling and disseminating national accounts data, specifically on the financial corporations sector and financial account, and for users requiring a better understanding of such data.

The motivating source of developing guidance for the operational use of an integrated approach to economic statistics in national statistical programmes has been the benefits of integrated economic statistics for nationally and internationally coordinated economic policy. The methodological and practical guidelines in this publication respond to the recognized need for an integrated approach to increase the coherence and consistency of basic economic statistics for enhancing the quality and analytical value of both basic economic statistics and macroeconomic statistics. The Guidelines build upon international standards manuals by describing principles and detailed practices for further increasing the consistency and coherence of economic data within countries, over time, and across countries.

The Supplement covers a number of topics deemed to be beneficial to trade data compilers, including an overview of compiling practices, the revised International convention on the simplification and harmonization of customs procedures (revised Kyoto Convention), the 2007 edition of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, specific compilation issues such as goods for processing and re-exports, an overview of the differences between IMTS and general merchandise in balance of payments statistics, the lessons learned from the Intrastat system of the European Union, and the topic of linking trade and business statistics.

This Handbook reflects current practices in census management and provides concrete examples of census processes used in developed and developing countries. It presents an extensive coverage of techniques that can be used for quality assurance in every phase of the census cycle. The publication provides guidance on how to develop a structure able to effectively manage the census planning and operational processes; to plan all the processes that need to be considered in establishing a census; and to design control and monitoring processes. It is an ideal reference document on management aspects of conducting a population and housing census for national statistical offices, census and survey statisticians, social scientists and demographers, and international organizations involved in population activities.