Cross-tabulations

For the purpose of developing statistics on the situation of persons with disabilities, the principal topics that would be necessary for the assessment of equalization of opportunities include, inter alia sex, age, place of residence, type of household, marital status, educational attainment and school attendance, labour-force status, employment status, industry, occupation and wealth, including other institutional benefits and services made available to the persons with disabilities.

Box 25. Access to safely managed drinking water

Follow international standards, "uncovered" is not a standard classification.

Country Example.

What is the main source of water used by the family?

  1. Piped water into dwelling, yard or plot
  2. Public taps
  3. Boreholes or tubewells
  4. Covered or uncovered well: ✓
  5. Protected rainwater
  6. Protected springs
  7. Other

 

Countries, therefore, need to follow international standards and classification in the definition of variables.  For example, most countries collect the well-known global development indicators such as population using safely managed drinking water (SDG 6.1.1) or sanitation (SDG 6.2.1) services. However, in most countries such indicators are not collected in accordance to international definitions.  Hence, those two indicators are not comparable at the regional nor at the international levels.  

In terms of the labour market, for example, countries should follow the latest International Classification by Status in Employment (ICSE), to define the employed, unemployed and inactive in the population.  When asking about the main occupations or largest sector of economic activity, some countries correctly ask about employed persons, while other countries incorrectly ask about both employed persons and those who were unemployed but have previously worked.

It is a similar situation for education whereby countries should follow the latest International Standard Classification of Education. For further guidance please refer to the second revision of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, UNSD, which provides standardized and detailed tables in many fields according to international definitions and standards.