Seminar on data disaggregation through estimation techniques in small areas in Colombia

Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires addressing the challenge of “leaving no one behind” and overcoming inequalities. The adoption of public policies at the subnational level requires integrating data from different sources to obtain adequate estimates of geographic areas within countries. For example, the first indicator of the SDGs seeks to estimate the proportion of the population below the poverty line, disaggregated by sex, age group, employment status, and geographic location.

The growing need for disaggregated statistics for specific geographic areas and small population subgroups can be adequately met by small area estimation (SAE) procedures. small area estimation), which makes it possible to achieve better precision beyond the limitations found in traditional inferences based solely on household surveys. Many countries have begun to use SAE techniques to provide official poverty statistics, including Colombia, which, by integrating different sources of information (household surveys, population censuses, and administrative records), has managed to make municipal poverty estimates as part of its experimental statistics.

In recent years, ECLAC’s Statistics Division has cooperated with the countries of the Region in installing capacities for government personnel, academia, and researchers. DANE of Colombia has been a beneficiary of these commitments and has advanced several innovations regarding the disaggregation of estimates for different indicators in different constructs such as poverty, multidimensional poverty, labor statistics, family planning, migration, among others.

Objectives and results

Given the country’s growing interest in estimating poverty at the subnational level, and other priority indicators, this seminar aims to guide the practical aspects of disaggregated estimates, data integration, and statistical innovations associated with the subject in Colombia. The seminar will also present some practical experiences by National Government Institutions in the development of methodologies related to the production of official statistics using SAE techniques, as well as international experiences.

Target audiences

The seminar will bring together social researchers from different institutions such as DANE, government ministries and other parts of the Colombian National Statistical System and academia to strengthen their capacity to estimate priority indicators at the subnational level.

Participants

• National Department of Statistics of Colombia
• Other national government ministries
• Academy
• Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean