Name and version: Statistical unit
Alternative name: Unit of observation, object class, units (classified), object
Valid: January 2009 until further notice.
Description: Statistical units are entities, respondents to a survey or things used for purpose of calculation or measurement. Statistical units are units of observation for which data are collected or derived. They include, among others, businesses, government institutions, individual organisations, institutions, persons, groups, geographical areas and events. They form the population from which data can be collected or upon which observations can be made.
Intended use:
The statistical unit is the basic unit of statistical observation within a statistical survey or program, and maybe the basis for sampling. Also, it is important to define the statistical unit being classified by the statistical classification, which defines the scope of the classification.
Different statistical units meet different needs but are defined in such a way that it can be easily recognized and identified. It may be a legal or physical entity, or in the case of homogeneous production, a statistical construct.
The following statistical units are units used for mainly business and national accounts' statistics:
- Enterprise group
- Enterprise
- Kind-of-activity unit (KAU)
- Establishment
- Local unit or location
- Homogeneous units of production (UHP)
- Institutional units
- Economy
Other statistical units in business surveys include product and transaction. Statistical units for social statistics include person, family, household, birth, and death, etc.
Maintenance organization: To be determined
ISO Standard Number:
References:
UN Glossary of Classification Terms
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/class/family/glossary_short.asp#S
http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=6157
Eurostat
http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=2558
Neuchâtel terminology
New Zealand
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/class/intercop/training/escap08/escap08-Bk3.PDF
Statistics Canada
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/concepts/units-unites-eng.htm
Units in the Metadata Common Vocabulary
EU Regulation on Statistical Units (economic statistics)
Relationships to other standards:
Linked to statistical classifications (1.1) since statistical units are the building blocks around which classifications are optimized. For example, the North American Industry Classification System is built for classifying units with a homogeneous production processes, which are generally business locations and/or establishments.
Linked to Neuchâtel Model (3.1)
Linked to (1.3), (2.3)???
Format: not applicable
Language: English
Template last updated / validated: December 21, 2009
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