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cent). In the other regions, the proportion of countries with complete registration of births and deaths varies from less than half to less than two thirds. 660. Furthermore, quality data on causes of death based on civil registration systems are provided by an even smaller number of countries. For example, an analysis of data availability between 1996 and 2005 490 shows that only 13 per cent of countries were able to provide high-quality cause-of-death data (defined by 90-100 per cent completeness, use of a recent version of the WHO International Classification of Diseases, and less than 10 per cent ill-defined codes for cause of death). By comparison, 72 per cent of countries have not reported cause-of-death data to WHO, or the reported data were of low quality or limited use. The remaining 15 per cent of countries had cause-of-death data of medium quality. 661. In countries with inadequate civil registration systems, gaps in data on births, deaths and causes of death have been filled in the last 20 years by estimates or extrapolations from household surveys, population censuses and demographic surveillance sites. Such alternative data collection systems have been viewed as reasonable interim substitutes for civil registration, with the exception of the assessment of causes of death. They are not, however, a long-term alternative to the development of complete national civil registration systems that are able to provide, on a current and continuous basis, data at the most disaggregated level for government functioning. 491 2.
Population censuses 662. Population census is the primary source of information on the size, distribution and characteristics of a country’s population and the basis for calculation, estimation and projection of a variety of indicators needed for policymaking, planning and administration in all development sectors. Censuses have the potential to provide data at the lowest geographical levels and in countries with incomplete civil registration systems, population censuses, along with household surveys, provide needed statistics on vital events. 492 663. Population censuses cover a variety of topics. In the 2010 census round, data on basic demographic characteristics of age, sex, marital status, labour force participation and occupation were collected in all or nearly all countries implementing a population census. 493 Migration was also covered by the majority of countries, with a higher proportion of countries inquiring about international, compared to internal, migration. Education characteristics ranked high in coverage, with data on school attendance and educational attainment collected by a majority of countries in all regions, and literacy by a majority of countries in Africa, South
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Mahapatra and others, “Civil registration systems and vital statistics: successes and missed opportunities”. See for example, K. Hill and others, “Interim measures for meeting needs for health sector data: births, deaths, and causes of death”, The Lancet, vol. 370, No. 9600, pp. 1726-1735; United Nations, Statistics Division, Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System: Revision 3 (forthcoming). Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses: Revision 2, Statistical Papers, Series M, No. 67/Rev.2 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.07.XVII.8). Assessment based on analysis of 124 census questionnaires (most covering countries with traditional censuses) conducted by the Statistics Division, as shown in “Implementation of United Nations recommendations for population census topics in the 2010 round” (ESA/STAT/AC.277/4).
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