Coverage Assessment in the 2011 UK Census

• Activity Number: 447
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Owen Abbott*+ and James Brown
• Companies: Office for National Statistics UK and Institute of Education
• Keywords: census ; coverage survey ; dual-system estimation

Abstract

It is accepted practice that an assessment of coverage should be part of the statistical operation of a traditional census. The UK is no exception, and the 2001 Census was the first real attempt to fully integrate the Census and coverage measurement processes, resulting in the development of the One Number Census (ONC) methodology. The ONC estimated the undercount to be about 6 per cent of the UK population, and the census database was adjusted by imputing 3 million individuals. For 2011, the strategy is to build on the 2001 framework, using the wealth of data that resulted from the ONC. This presentation will report on the research undertaken to explore potential improvements, including the design of the coverage survey, matching the coverage survey to the census, the estimation process, measurement of overcount and assessment of residual biases in the dual-system estimator.