menage - Millennium Development Goals Indicators

CHAPTER II. TECHNICAL NOTES ON THE STATISTICAL TABLESINTRODUCTIONSOURCE OF DATAThe statistics presented in the Demographic Yearbook are officialdata unless otherwise indicated. They have been assembled by theStatistical Office of the United Nations from official publications andfrom data transmitted in monthly and annual questionnaires and incorrespondence by the national statistical services or other appropriategovernmental offices of over 220 countries.To establish comparability in so far as computation procedures areconcerned, all rates and ratios (except life-table functions and a fewexceptions noted in the rate tables) have been computed in theStatistical Office of the United Nations according to the methodsdescribed for each table. The populations used for the computation ofrates are those published in this or previous issues of the Yearbook.In cases where differences are observed between data in thisvolume and those published in previous Demographic Yearbooks orrelated publications, statistics in this issue may be assumed to reflectrevisions received in the Statistical Office by 15 March 1969.ARRANGEMENT AND NUMBERING OF TABLESThe tables in this Demographic Yearbook are grouped under elevensubject matter headings and these are arranged in the following order:World Summary (which cuts across subject matter boundaries),Population, Natality, Foetal Mortality, Infant Mortality, General Mortality,Life Tables, Nuptiality, Divorce, Annulment and InternationalMigration. The tables are numbered in sequence throughout the book.With the exception of Nos. 1-6, recurring tables do not maintain thesame number from issue to issue because of the policy of rotationwhereby a different subject is featured each year with the consequentexpansion and contraction in the number of tables devoted to eachsubject.FEATURED SUBJECTThe subject to which particular attention is paid in this issue is"Marriage and Divorce Statistics". Twenty-six tables are devoted tothis subject, including 7 which are recurring tables shown each yearbut in less detail than is possible when they are part of the featuresubject.SCOPE Of DATAGeographic coverageIn accordance with the original plans, the geographic coverage ofthe tables has been made as extensive as possible. This means that theYearbook shows in each table national statistics for as many countriesas provide them. In addition, vital statistics for ethnic or geographicsegments of the population are presented when national statistics arenot available. These data are included not as representative statisticsbut as an index to the availability of statistics. It should be emphasizedthat publication of all available data does not indicate that a valuejudgment has been made as to their accuracy except as it is reflected inthe quality codes, described on pp. 9 and 11.Table 2 is the most comprehensive, showing population and area forevery country--sovereign and non-sovereign-having at least 50inhabitants. Time series of total population and vital statistics are nextmost comprehensive. Frequency distributions in which a populationcharacteristic is the variable are of more limited coverage, and thegeographic scope decreases even further when more than one variableis introduced or where :he table consists of rates or ratios.Territorial compositionIn so far as possible, both time series and frequency distributions arefor the territory within the 1968 boundaries of the country specified.Whenever the territory to which data relate is other than present,footnotes have been used to describe the ways in which the territorialcomposition of the reporting area differs from the area within 1968boundaries.In cases where, because of frequent or recent boundary changes orother reasons, the present territorial composition might require clarification,the salient points have been set forth in table 2. On the otherhand, to avoid the confusion which might result for the transition year,boundary or administrative changes which have occurred during 1968are described briefly on all tables.Data given under the heading, "Eastern Germany", relate to the areaof the German Democratic Republic, the authorities of which havefurnished the data. Certain data supplied by the Federal Republic ofGermany include also data relating to West Berlin, for which separatefigures are not available.Definition of populationIn assembling national demographic statistics for publication, thebasic aim has been to obtain data for the present-in-area or de factopopulation rather than for the habitually resident or de jure inhabitants.Thus, unless otherwise noted, it must be assumed that population andvital statistics cover both nationals and aliens, native and foreign-born,aborigines, jungle tribes, nomadic peoples, displaced persons, internees,refugees and any other group present within the borders of acountry at a specified time. Hence, population estimates which havebeen adjusted to include national armed forces and diplomats stationedoutside the country, and to exclude alien armed forces, foreign diplomatsand enemy prisoners of war stationed in the area are explained inthe tables both where the population figures are shown and, if necessary,where these figures are used in the computation of vital-statisticsrates.NOMENCLATURENames of countriesBecause of space limitations, the country names listed in the tablesare generally the commonly employed abbreviations in use in theUnited Nations as of 31 Derember 1968,' the full official titles beingused only when a short form is not available. However, for purposes ofclarity, the following full official titles are used in table 2: UnitedKingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States ofAmerica, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Byelorussian SovietSocialist Republic and Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic In tables3--43, these five countries are referred to by the f0110wing short forms:United Kingdom, United States, USSR, Byelorussian SSR and UkrainianSSR, respectively.Arrangement of country namesThe arrangement of the country names in the stub of the tables is oftwo types, one for table 2 and another for the remaining tables.Table 2 shows some data for every country in the world. Countriesare grouped by continents the sequence of which is determined byEnglish alphabetical order i.e., Africa; America, North; America, South;Asia; Europe; Oceania; and USSR. Within each continent, countriesare classified as "sovereign" and "non-sovereign" and arranged inEnglish alphabetical order within these two sub-categories.1 For a listing of the majority of these areas, see Names of Countries andAdjectives of Nationality (United Nations document ST/CS/SER.r 248,24 December 1968.6