The OECD Statistics Newsletter, Issue 70, June 2019

The Statistics Newsletter For the ex tended OECD s tatis tic al net work

FEATURING ++Falling ill. Struggling to make ends meet. Having enough money in old age. ++How’s Life in the Digital Age? ++How far are OECD countries from achieving the SDGs?

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oe.cd/statisticsnewsletter Issue No. 70, June 2019

2019 COMPENDIUM OF PRODUCTIVITY INDICATORS

Contents 3

Falling ill. Struggling to make ends meet. Having enough money in old age.

Valerie Frey (valerie.frey@oecd.org), Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD

6

How’s Life in the Digital Age? Fabrice Murtin (fabrice.murtin@oecd.org), Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD

10

How far are OECD countries from achieving the SDGs? Michal Shinwell (michal.shinwell@oecd.org), Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD

14

Statistical Capacity Outlook and Monitor: Two new tools to track progress towards the development of SDG data in low-income countries Johannes Jütting (johannes.Jutting@oecd.org), Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21)

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Recent publications

19

Forthcoming meetings

The Statistics Newsletter is published by the OECD Statistics and Data Directorate.

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Editor-in-Chief: Martine Durand Editors: Nadim Ahmad and Peter van de Ven Editorial and technical support: Martine Zaïda and Sonia Primot Contact us at sdd.statnews@oecd.org

2 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

Falling ill. Struggling to make ends meet. Having enough money in old age.

Valerie Frey (valerie.frey@oecd.org), Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD

T

he OECD Risks that Matter survey finds that more than they currently do in order to support the concerns around falling ill, poor. In Greece, Germany, Portugal making ends meet, and and Slovenia, this share reaches 75% Nearly half of all financial security in old age or more. respondents say are weighing on people’s “struggling to make minds across countries. Initiated by the People also feel excluded from policy ends meet despite OECD Employment, Labour and Social making. In all but four countries, a Affairs Directorate in 2018, the Risks working” is a top-three majority of respondents say that they do that Matter survey examines people’s not feel the government incorporates risk they face in the perceptions of the social and economic the views of people like them when next year or two. risks they face, and asks how citizens designing or reforming public benefits feel about their government’s reaction to their concerns.

(Figure 1). This confirms findings reported in How’s Life The survey polled a representative sample of 22 000 2017: Measuring Well-being. adults in 21 OECD countries.

The Risks that Matter survey shows that iImplementation Across countries, people are worried about economic matters, too. OECD countries have some of the most security. Nearly half of all respondents say “struggling advanced social protection systems in the world, but to make ends meet despite working” is a top-three risk policies cannot reach their full potential if people do not they face in the next year or two. When looking beyond feel they can fully access the right benefits and services the next decade, about seven out of ten respondents when needed. worry that they will not be financially secure in old age.

Measuring perceptions of risk and government responsiveness At the same time, OECD research shows that OECD governments spend, on average, more than 20% of GDP on social protection – the equivalent of about USD 8 000 per capita per year (OECD (2019) Social Expenditure Database). Why, then, do people feel so at risk in the world’s wealthiest countries?

Part of the problem lies in the design of social protection systems. People are largely dissatisfied with existing social programmes and benefits. A majority of respondents believe that their government would not provide them with an adequate safety net if they lost their income due to job loss, illness or old age. More than half feel that they would not be able to access public benefits easily if they needed them. This contributes to nearly three-quarters of all respondents wanting government to do more to protect their social and economic security.

Across countries, people want greater fairness and justice in social protection. Nearly 60% say they do not receive their fair share of benefits given the taxes they pay, and two-thirds believe others get more than they deserve. On average across countries, 68% of respondents say the government should tax the rich

The Risks That Matter survey, conducted for the first time in two waves in the spring and autumn of 2018, draws on a representative sample of 22 000 people, aged 18 to 70 years old, in 21 OECD countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and the United States. Respondents were asked about their social and economic concerns, how well they think government responds to their needs and expectations, and what policies they would like to see in the future.

The aim of the survey is to better understand what citizens want and need from social policy. Standard data sources, such as government administrative records and household and labour force surveys, provide “traditional” data on issues such as where and how much people work, how much they earn, their health status, whether or not they are in education. These surveys have proved invaluable information for policy researchers, and have helped to shape and improve public policies for decades. Yet, as highlighted in recent work hosted

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter 3

Figure 1. Most respondents in OECD countries do not feel the government incorporates their views when designing social benefits Distribution of responses to the statement “I feel the government incorporates the views of people like me when designing or reforming public benefits”, 2018 Disagree or strongly disagree

%

Undecided

Agree or strongly agree

100 90 80 70 60 50 40

30 20 10 0

Respondents were asked to indicate the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with the statement “I feel the government incorporates the views of people like me when designing or reforming public benefits”. Possible response options were “strongly disagree”, “disagree”, “undecided”, “agree” and “strongly agree”.

Source: OECD Secretariat estimates based on the OECD Risks That Matter survey (2018)

by the OECD (Stiglitz, Fitoussi and Durand, 2018), these more traditional data sources rarely show people’s concerns, perceived vulnerabilities and preferences, especially regarding government policy. Existing crossnational surveys in this area (such as certain rounds of the International Social Survey Programme or the European Commission’s Eurobarometer survey) are conducted infrequently or only in specific regions. The OECD Risks That Matter survey attempts to fill this gap: it complements existing data sources by providing comparable OECD-wide information on people’s perceptions about social risks and social policies.

The survey questionnaire was developed in consultation with OECD member countries. It consists of three parts covering: 1. risk perceptions and the social and economic challenges facing respondents and their families; 2. satisfaction with social protection and government, or how well government performs in providing public services and benefits; and 3. desired policies, or preferences for social protection going forward. Most questions are fixed-response, taking the form of either binary-response (e.g. “yes or no”) or scale-response (e.g. ranking). The questionnaire is conducted in national languages.

The survey is implemented online by Respondi Limited using samples recruited via the internet and over the phone. Sampling is based on a modified form of quota

4 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

sampling, with sex, age group, education level, income level, and worker status used as the sampling criteria.

Survey weights are used to correct for any under- or over-representation based on these five criteria. The target and weighted sample is 1 000 respondents per country.

References OECD (2019), Risks that Matter: Main Findings from the 2018 OECD Risks that Matter Survey, OECD Publishing, Paris, www.oecd.org/social/risks-that-matter.htm OECD (2019), OECD Social Expenditure Database. www.oecd.org/social/expenditure.htm Stiglitz, J., J. Fitoussi and M. Durand (eds.) (2018), For Good Measure: Advancing Research on Well-being Metrics Beyond GDP, OECD Publishing, Paris, https:// dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264307278-en OECD (2017), How's Life? 2017: Measuring Wellbeing, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/ how_life-2017-en

International Conference on Establishment Statistics (ICES-VI) Call for invited session proposals Deadline: 13 June 2019 About ICES VI The 6th International Conference on Establishment Statistics (ICES VI) (http://ww2.amstat.org/meetings/ices/2020/) will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA on 15-18 June 2020. Continuing in the tradition of previous ICES, ICES-VI will explore new areas of establishment statistics, as well as reflect state-of-the-art methodology at the time of the conference, promoting discussion of a broad range of issues related to the statistics of businesses, farms or institutions.

Participants come from academia, governmental statistical agencies, private businesses, statistical associations, and other sectors with an interest in international best practices in conceptualisation, design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination. Proceedings of ICES V, held in Geneva in 2016, Switzerland, can be found at: http://ww2.amstat. org/meetings/ices/2016/proceedings/ICESV_TOC.pdf The conference will include: •• •• •• •• ••

Short courses at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels Introductory overview lectures about important and timely topics Selection of invited and contributed papers Two keynote addresses SPEED (poster) sessions and software demonstrations

Interested in submitting an invited session proposal?

The Programme Committee invites you to submit your proposal at: http://ww2.amstat.org/meetings/ices/2020/ invitedsessions.cfm Two formats are possible: •• Two papers + discussant + floor discussions •• Three papers + discussant + floor discussions The deadline for submissions is 13 June 2019.More information on the ICES VI conference: http://ww2.amstat.org/meetings/ices/2020/index.cfm

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter 5

How’s Life in the Digital Age? Fabrice Murtin (fabrice.murtin@oecd.org), Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD

H

ow are people’s lives and well-being affected by the digital transformation? Digital technologies have radically, and rapidly, changed the way people work, consume and communicate. Drawing on currently available statistics, How’s Life in the Digital Age?, the first monograph in the new How’s Life? series, attempts to answer this question, whilst also underlining important data gaps.

While several OECD reports have documented the effects of digital technologies on the economy, this report uses the How’s Life? well-being framework to assess how the digital transformation affects people’s life as a whole. For each dimension of people’s wellbeing (income and wealth, jobs and earnings, housing, health status, education and skills, work-life balance, civic engagement and governance, social connections, environmental quality, personal security and subjective well-being, plus ICT access and use as a cross-cutting dimension of the digital transformation), the report presents evidence on the opportunities and risks created by the digital transformation based on an extensive review of studies in a range of disciplines. It assembles 33 indicators of key impacts of the digital transformation, including 20 indicators to monitor digital opportunities and 13 indicators to reflect digital risks.

The main insight from the report is that digital technologies can improve the lives of those who have the skills to use them but, at the same time, they can create a digital divide, meaning that those that don’t have the skills find themselves left behind. Making digitalisation work for people’s well-being requires building equal digital opportunities, widespread digital literacy and strong digital security.

The digital transformation creates both opportunities and risks for people’s well-being Digital technologies expand the boundaries of information available to people and can enhance human productivity, but they can also imply risks for people’s well-being, ranging from job losses and cyber-bullying to breaches to online security and privacy. How’s Life in the Digital Age? presents evidence on the opportunities and risks associated with the digital transformation based on 33 indicators, revealing significant variation across countries. For example Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands (upper-right quadrant of Figure 1) enjoy high opportunities and high risks, whereas Chile, Italy and Hungary (upper-left quadrant of Figure 1) combine low opportunities with high risks. In contrast, Finland, Norway, Korea, Canada and Switzerland, combine high

Figure 1. Comparative analysis of digital risks and digital opportunities across countries 0.75 High risk LUX

CHL

GBR

HUN

FRA

ITA

TUR 0.25

MEX

PRT

LTU SVN

POL

Low opportunities GRC

AUT SVK

LVA CZE

IRL 0.50

ISR

AUS ESP BEL

NLD

JPN USA DEU

EST CHE

NZL Average rank in terms of digital opportunities

KOR CAN

DNK SWE ISL

NOR

0.90

High opportunities

FIN Average rank in terms of digital risks

0.10 Low risk The figure is based on 13 indicators of digital risks, and 20 indicators of digital opportunities. Indicators are normalised between 0 (minimum score) and 100 (maximum score), with scores averaged within then across dimensions. Missing data values are excluded from each country’s score, implying that scores may be under- or over-estimated in the case of large data gaps.

Countries with more than 10 missing indicators are marked in grey instead of blue.

6 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

opportunities from the digital transformation with low risks. The report also provides detailed country profiles and identifies countries’ main opportunities and risks in the digital transformation.

that already exist, for example in accessing expensive technologies for better health outcomes.

To benefit from digital technologies people need the right set of skills

The digital divide may increase inequalities in well-being outcomes

People need skills adapted to a digital world. Today only 31% of adults in OECD countries have sufficient While more and more people in OECD countries have problem-solving skills for operating in technologyaccess to digital technologies, a digital divide persists rich environments (Figure 3). A wide range of skills (Figure 2). Inequalities in access and is needed to succeed in the digital use of digital technologies by age, ...digital technologies world of work: these include cognitive gender, education and other sociocan improve the lives skills, information and communication economic markers imply that certain of those who have the technology (ICT) skills, complementary groups are better placed than others to skills, specialist skills and the ability to harness digital technologies to achieve skills to use them but, cope with change and keep learning, better well-being outcomes in many life at the same time, they including when out of work. dimensions, such as jobs and income, can create a digital health, work-life balance and social Emotional and social skills are divide... connections. There is a clear age especially important to fully benefit pattern in this digital divide. For instance, almost one from digital technologies and safely navigate the online third of people aged 55-65 lack computer experience world. This “digital literacy” allows people to combine their or have failed tests for assessing core information and digital and real lives, and to avoid mental health problems communication technology (ICT) skills, as compared associated with abuses of digital technologies. Extreme with 5% among people aged 16 to 24. use of the Internet is more common among children with low-educated parents than among those with universityThe risks of the digital transformation are also higher educated ones, with several studies showing that it is for people with lower levels of education and skills, with associated with a number of mental health risks such as opportunities benefiting fewer; and the digital-divide also depression, anxiety, attention deficit, bipolar disorders has an income dimension, working to reinforce gaps and addictions among children and teenagers.

Figure 2. Differences in Internet use by level of education Number of online activities that are used by more than 50% of total population, 2017 or latest year available Total

High education

Low education

Number of activities

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

COL

SWE

LUX

NOR

DNK

ISL

NLD

FIN

CHE

DEU

KOR

BEL

EST

AUT

IRL

GBR

FRA

ESP

CAN

LTU

SVK

LVA

CZE

JPN

OECD

PRT

SVN

POL

GRC

HUN

ITA

MEX

CHL

0

TUR

1

The figure describes the number of online activities that are taken up by a majority (50%) of the population in each country, out of a list of ten possible activities: e-mailing for private purpose; finding information about goods and services; reading/downloading software; consulting wikis; Internet banking; telephoning/video calling; playing, streaming, downloading, watching games/images/films/music; purchasing online; and visiting or interacting with public authorities websites. Data come from the OECD ICT Information and Communication Technology database. Canada, Chile, Colombia and Japan do not have data on two of ten possible activities. Korea and Mexico miss data for one activity. Methodological differences exist for Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Korea and Mexico. The OECD average is population weighted.

Source: OECD Information and Communication Technology database

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter 7

Figure 3. Digital skills, latest available year Share of individuals scoring at Level 2 or Level 3 in the PIAAC proficiency in problem-solving in technology-rich environments task, by age Total

25-35

55-65

80 70 60 50 40 30 20

SWE

FIN

NZL

NLD

NOR

AUS

DNK

CAN

DEU

JPN

BEL

CZE

GBR

AUT

USA

KOR

OECD

ISR

EST

SVK

IRL

SVN

LTU

POL

CHL

GRC

0

TUR

10

Problem solving in technology-rich environments measures adults’ abilities to solve the types of problems they commonly face as ICT users in modern societies.

Adults scoring at Level 2 or Level 3 can solve problems that require the co-ordinated use of several different applications, can evaluate the results of web searches, and can respond to occasional unexpected outcomes. For most countries, data refer to 2012; for Chile, Greece, Israel, Lithuania, New Zealand, Slovenia and Turkey, data refer to 2015. The OECD average is population weighted.

Source: Based on OECD (2012, 2015), Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (database), www.oecd.org/skills/piaac/publicdataandanalysis/

Digital technologies can improve people’s social and civic lives but also expose them to disinformation and digital security risks The Internet and the smartphone have fundamentally changed the way people interact with each other.

Evidence from the report shows that online social contact can help people overcome loneliness and social exclusion, and that it typically complements offline interactions rather than replaces it. Governments have also used digital technologies to make public services more effective and efficient, and to ease access to these services by users.

researchers and analysts. National Statistical Offices and other data collectors will need to design new instruments to improve the evidence on the well-being impacts of the digital transformation.

Want to know more?

Visit www.oecd.org/publications/how-s-life-in-the-digitalage-9789264311800-en.htm

On the other hand, digital technologies expose users to significant safety risks such as cyber-bullying and digital security breaches. Digital literacy skills and strong digital security are essential to ensuring that people fully benefit from the digital transformation. Moreover, social media also expose people to fake news and disinformation, limiting their exposure to competing viewpoints and contributing to a polarisation of views.

While the causal link from increased disinformation to lower trust in government is not clearly established, people living in countries more exposed to perceived disinformation also report, on average, lower trust in government.

Going forward, key opportunities and risks, such as the impacts of online networking sites on people’s social lives, the mental health effects of extreme Internet use, or the effects of automation of jobs are still debated by

8 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

OECD (2019), How’s Life in the Digital Age? Opportunities and Risks of the Digital Transformation for People’s Well-being, OECD Publishing, Paris

Society at a Glance 2019: A Spotlight on LGBT People OECD Society at a Glance examines social trends across the OECD. This 2019 edition puts the spotlight on lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) individuals, as they still suffer from various forms of discrimination. Only half of OECD countries have legalised same-sex marriage throughout their national territory, and less than a third allow for a change of gender on official documents to match gender identity without requiring a mental health diagnosis. Steps backward have also been witnessed. This edition also includes a special chapter based on the 2018 OECD Risks That Matter Survey as well as 25 social indicators on general context, self-sufficiency, equity, health and social cohesion.

See more at http://oe.cd/sag

A simple yet powerful tool to support policy analysis and discovery for better decision-making The STIP Compass is an initiative of the European Commission and the OECD to collect in one place quantitative and qualitative data on national trends in science, technology and innovation (STI) policy. The portal supports the continuous monitoring and analysis of countries’ STI policies supporting government officials, analysts and scholars. It incorporates more than 500 interactive dashboards and provides a sophisticated search tool with smart filtering that facilitates policy discovery. These interfaces allow users to seamlessly query the database to identify country policies on a wide range of STI policy issues. For example, Figure 1 draws from STIP Compass data to show that countries employ a mix of governance and direct funding policy instruments to help research actors build international linkages.

Figure 1. Frequently employed policy instruments for the internationalisation of public research

Explore and analyse STI policies now at stip.oecd.org

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter  9

How far are OECD countries from achieving the SDGs? Michal Shinwell (michal.shinwell@oecd.org), Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD

T

he Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed by 192 countries in September 2015, are a call for action for all countries to work together in achieving freedom and prosperity through sustainable development.

The SDGs are defined by 17 goals, underpinned by 169 targets, detailing what is to be achieved and how this could be achieved (the “means of implementation”) by 2030. In order to measure global progress on the goals and targets, an Inter-Agency Expert Group (IAEG-SDGs) was convened by the UN Statistical Commission to develop an indicator framework. The resulting list of 244 indicators, aligned with all 169 targets and 17 goals, was approved by the UN General Assembly in 2017 and is used as the basis for the global and regional UN monitoring of progress on the SDGs. As part of the OECD Action Plan on SDGs, approved by the OECD Council in 2016, the OECD Statistics and Data Directorate developed a study intended to help member countries navigate the complex landscape presented by the SDGs, by assessing the distance each country needs to go in order to achieve the SDG targets. This was first published as a pilot study in June 2016. Subsequently, also including member countries’ feedback and refinements to the methodology, a second edition was published in July 2017 with an expanded indicator, target and country coverage. The report including the third edition of the Measuring Distance to the SDG Targets study (oe.cd/to-SDG-targets) was launched on 20 May 2019, at a press conference held in Paris by the OECD Secretary-General on the occasion of the OECD Annual Ministerial meetings. This edition further expands the coverage of targets and countries, and includes new analyses on changes over time (trends towards or away from the targets) and on the impacts OECD countries have outside their borders (transboundary effects, as discussed below). It also shows where data are missing across goals, and how this affects the assessment of countries’ distances.

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The Measuring Distance study is closely aligned with the IAEG-SDGs’ global list of indicators, using data from the UN SDG and OECD databases, when available for a minimum of 20 OECD countries, as well as “OECD proxies” for IAEG indicators that are not currently covered in the UN SDG Database. It is the only international study to provide an assessment of OECD countries’ achievements on the SDGs at a targetby-target and country-bycountry level. Using publicly available data and a unique methodology that allows comparing performances across the different areas of the 2030 Agenda, the study covers 132 of the 244 indicators in the UN Global List, referring to 105 of the 169 targets. Data coverage is uneven across the 17 goals: those related to Health, Infrastructure and Education have the best coverage, with 90% or more targets captured by at least one indicator. Meanwhile, goals on Oceans, Sustainable Production, Cities, and Reducing Inequality fare worst on data, with less than 40% of the targets covered.

OECD countries’ distances from achieving the SDG targets The SDG targets vary in both the level of ambition and their place on the the input-process-output-outcomeimpact chain, which makes navigating and prioritising across the goals a considerable challenge. Data gaps and the lack of explicit numerical targets in the 2030 Agenda pose further challenges for assessing countries’ distances to the targets and interpreting results. Since both data availability and performance on targets may differ considerably within goals, the Measuring Distance study results are best considered at the target level (Figure 1). On average, OECD countries are closest to achieving targets on access to basic amenities, such as energy (Energy, goal 7), information and communication technologies (Infrastructure, goal 9), and modern education facilities (Education, goal 4); as well as on maternal, infant and neonatal mortality rates (Health, goal 3); statistical capacity (Implementation, goal 17);

public access to information (Institutions, goal 16); and conservation of coastal areas (Oceans, goal 14).

Figure 1. The distance of OECD countries from achieiving the SDG targets Goals IP RSH NE RT PA

1: Eradicate poverty 2: Food C

E

E

A

3: Health

P

4: Education 5: Gender equality

PE OP

6: Water

LE

7: Energy 8: Economy ITY PER OS

11: Cities 12: Sustainable production

Novel features of the study

PR

9: Infrastructure 10: Reduce inequality

The overall approach adopted for the study was to stay as close as possible to the language of the 2030 Agenda and to the Official UN Global List of Indicators for global reporting. For targets with lower levels of ambition than in other international agreements/conventions, this sometimes results in a rather positive assessment of OECD countries’ distances (such as on climate in the Paris Agreement). In addition, this approach means that not all indicators available for OECD countries, which may be relevant for the assessment of countries’ performance, are used, because they are not part of the UN Global list.

13: Climate 14: Oceans 15: Biodiversity 16: Institutions PLANET

17: Implementation Levels of achievement to be attained by 2030

The figure shows the distance from achieving SDG targets for each target measured in the study.

The longer the bar, the closer to achieving the target; the shorter the bar, the further away.

On the other hand, OECD countries are furthest away from targets related to inequalities, such as relative income poverty (Eradicate Poverty, goal 1), socioeconomic disparities in education (Education, goal 4), women’s participation and leadership (Gender Equality, goal 5); tobacco use (Health, goal 3) and malnutrition (Food, goal 2); secondary education; adult numeracy skills (Education, goal 4); share of youth not in education, employment or training (Economy, goal 8); and safety (Institutions, goal 16).

When aggregating the distances to the SDG targets at the goal level, the study finds that OECD countries are on average closest to achieving the goals on Cities, Climate and Energy (goals 7, 11 and 13), and are furthest away from reaching those on Gender Equality, Food, and Reducing Inequality (goals 5, 2 and 10). In this respect, it should be noted however that many of the indicators for assessing performances are still missing, in particular when it comes to goals related to Planet (such as Sustainable Production and Oceans), with 70% of targets still missing data, and Climate and Biodiversity, for which data on 40% of the targets are still missing).

The study provides an indication of how OECD countries’ performance at the goal level could change if more data were available, based on two opposing assumptions on the values that these indicators could take, i.e. the highest possible value and a low value, (below a threshold which most OECD countries have already surpassed on most targets).

In addition to assessing the distance from achieving the SDG targets by 2030, the study also examines the performance over time, i.e. whether countries have been moving towards the SDG targets or away from them since 2005. Unfortunately, this is a task much more demanding than assessing distances at a certain point in time. Of the 132 indicators covered in the study, data for at least three data points between 2005 and 2017 are available for 76 indicators only, covering 63 targets. Based on these indicators, the assessment shows that most OECD countries have been progressing towards the targets relating to Gender Equality, Health, Infrastructure, Cities, and the five Planet goals (Figure 2).

The most notable areas of worsening performance over the last decade or so are related to Food (target 2.2.2 on malnutrition, where obesity data have been used for OECD countries), Health (3.b.1 on vaccination coverage), Economy (8.1.1 on GDP growth, 8.2.1 on productivity growth, and 8.5.2 on unemployment) and Biodiversity (15.5.1 on the conservation status of major species groups, and extinction risk over time). For most indicators, however, at least one third of OECD countries display no visible trend since 2005.

National outcomes and transboundary impacts The study also presents country profiles, detailing how OECD countries are doing on their commitments to achieiving the SDGs. In addition to these country-level analyses, the study makes a first step towards considering the global, inter-connected and integrative nature of the 2030 Agenda by assessing its transboundary elements.

These are understood as the impact of the actions of an OECD country in achieving the SDGs on other countries or on global public goods. In other words, if a country takes action to achieve the SDG targets, what impact might this have beyond its borders (see Figure 3). Using this definition, the study finds that over half of the targets (97 of 169) in the 2030 Agenda have a

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter 11

Figure 2. Average number of OECD countries by direction of trends since 2005, reported at goal level achieiving the SDG targets Movement away from SDG targets

No identified trend or not enough data

Progress toward SDG targets

40 35

30 25

20 15 10

Prosperity

Peace

Partnership

.

Implementation

Cities

Reducing inequality

Infrastructure

Economy

Energy

Biodiversity

Oceans

Climate Planet

Institutions

People

Sustainable Production

Water

Gender Equality

Education

Health

Food

0

Eradicating poverty

5

The figure shows the average number of OECD countries by direction of trends for each of the 17 SDGs.

transboundary element, with 50 of these defined in the 2030 Agenda as “means of implementation”. However, out of these 97 transboundary targets, only 31 indicators are currently available for measuring distances, thus showing considerable data gaps for understanding the global and inter-connected aspects of the 2030 Agenda and its implementation.

Concluding remarks The Measuring Distance to the SDG Targets report is intended to assist OECD member countries in their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda, by mapping where they stand today with regard to the relevant goals and targets.

In addition, the study aims to show how much data are still missing and need to be developed, to identify the areas in which OECD countries are making progress and where they are falling behind; and how their actions might impact other countries and global public goods.

OECD countries have used previous editions of the study in their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to stimulate debate with stakeholders and government departments, to communicate on SDGs with the general public, and to serve as an input in the process of aligning national policies and strategies with the SDGs. This edition, with its expanded coverage and analyses, represents a further step in helping OECD countries in their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Figure 3. Illustrating transboundary impacts in the 2030 Agenda

Country B

Country A NERSHIP PART

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12 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

Global public goods

Global Revenue Statistics Database: Expansion to over 90 countries The Global Revenue Statistics Database is a unique source of harmonised tax revenue data, verified by countries and regional partners. Spanning more than 90 countries, the database provides a rich and accessible resource for policymakers and researchers, based on the internationally-recognised OECD standard. It allows comparisons of the tax burden in these countries, measured by the tax-to-GDP ratio, as well as of the tax mix, i.e. the distribution of total tax revenues by the main types of taxes. The database presents tax revenue data in national currency and USD, and also provides information on the share of tax revenues attributed to different levels of government.

Domestic revenues are critical to efforts to fund sustainable development and to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. The database supports these efforts by measuring progress on domestic resource mobilisation and providing country-specific indicators as called for in SDG 17, in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and by more than 55 countries and international organisations in the Addis Tax Initiative.

The database shows that countries have made strong progress toward mobilising domestic financing for development in the 21st century.

Tax revenues are now higher as a percentage of GDP and their levels are more evenly distributed across countries than they were at the turn of the century. With few exceptions, countries that recorded the lowest level of tax revenues in 2000 have increased their revenues the most.

Access the database at oe.cd/global-rev-statsdatabase Download the brochure at www.oecd.org/tax/taxpolicy/about-globalrevenue-statistics-database.pdf

The updated Global Revenue Statistics Database Brochure provides key highlights from the latest updates to the database. Between 2015 and 2016, the tax-to-GDP ratio increased in 52 countries and decreased in 40. For three-quarters of countries in each direction, the change was less than 1 percentage point. The OECD average taxto-GDP ratio increased by 0.3 percentage points to 34.0% between 2015 and 2016, while for the 21 African countries included in the publication, the average tax-to-GDP ratio remained unchanged at 18.2% and the Latin American and Caribbean average decreased slightly by 0.1 percentage to 22.6% over the same period.

The Global Revenue Statistics Database is updated several times a year with the latest available data from the regional Revenue Statistics publications which cover African, Asian and Pacific, Latin American and Carribbean and OECD countries.

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter  13

Statistical Capacity Outlook and Monitor Two new tools to track progress towards the development of SDG data in low-income countries Johannes Jütting, (johannes.Jutting@oecd.org), Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21)

W

hile many low-income countries efforts are needed to continue to strengthen their have made progress in producing statistical capacities. In particular, there continues to more and better data and statistics be scarcity of key basic data in many areas that are in recent years, momentum needs to critical for development policies. The majority of lowbe maintained in order income countries for example, do not have to meet the growing data demands from functioning systems for civil registration nor policy makers and citizens. Expectations statistics on industrial production.

STATISTICAL CAPACITY are high but data challenges will not be met DEVELOPMENT And improved statistical capacity unless national statistical systems have OUTLOOK 2019 programmes are also needed the required capacity and financial support (OECD, 2017).

Quality statistics depend on properly financed systems, an effective legal At its recent Annual Board Meeting (3 and institutional framework , and wellApril), PARIS21 launched its inaugural trained technical and professional staff.

Statistical Capacity Development Outlook Yet, the emergence of new data actors, 2019 (https://paris21.org/flagship/2019); and the increasing complexity of the the first comprehensive review of statistical new data ecosystem are calling for other capacity in low and lower-middle income capabilities to be considered. Soft skills, countries, providing a snapshot of current such as management and leadership, are statistical capacities and an overview of issues and increasingly important across statistical organisations current trends in capacity development. In addition, it but these new aspects of statistical capacity are not describes innovative approaches to improving statistical always well captured, or prioritised, in development capacity and provides a tool to support co-ordination assistance projects, despite strong appreciation of their efforts among development partners and countries. importance, partly reflecting limited national ‘ownership’ of such programmes. Indeed, more than half of all African Its online companion, The Statistical Capacity Monitor NSOs thought that capacity programmes did not involve (www.statisticalcapacitymonitor.org), provides an sufficient consultation between national and international evolving set of indicators to support countries, donors and stakeholders (PARIS21, 2018a). Capacity assessment service providers to tailor statistical capacity development tools also tend to stress the organisational and system programmes. With more than 140 indicators, it also capabilities at the expense of individual ones: while facilitates country and regional comparisons across only 2% of assessed capabilities target the individual, multiple dimensions of statistical capacity. Ultimately, the 32% of countries expressed that individual capabilities platform aims to help align the supply and demand of needed to be improved (Figure 1). programmes, enhance donor co-ordination and build on But new approaches are emerging collective knowledge of what statistical capacity means.

The Statistical Capacity Development Outlook 2019, a new flagship series produced

by PARIS21, provides a snapshot of trends and current issues in statistical capacity development. The report consists of four chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the report. Chapter 2 summarises trends and assesses global performance in different areas of statistical capacity. Chapter 3 reviews how the concept of statistical capacity is evolving to adjust to the new data ecosystem and explores recent approaches to measuring it.

Finally, Chapter 4 highlights recent developments in understanding and measuring data use. The report aims to guide future efforts to develop capacity within and across national statistical systems and co-ordinate efforts among development partners.

Visit: https://paris21.org/flagship/2019

The report is accompanied by the Statistical Capacity Monitor, a comprehensive and accessible online platform providing the most relevant and publicly available indicators on statistical capacity.

Visit: https://www.statisticalcapacitymonitor.org/ Table of contents

www.PARIS21.org @contactPARIS21

© Jorge Lasca

Chapter 1. Overview Chapter 2. Recent trends in statistical capacity development Chapter 3. A revised approach to assessing statistical capacity in the new data ecosystem Chapter 4. Developing capacity for the more effective use of statistics

PARTNERSHIP IN STATISTICS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Increased momentum is needed in many areas of statistical capacity A well-functioning national statistical system provides quality data on a country’s economic and social progress, ensures accountability and sets directions for defining its future development strategy. While low-income countries have made progress in producing more and better data and statistics in recent years, considerable

14 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

As the data environment changes, a growing consensus is emerging to reassess how national statistical systems can adapt and new initiatives are emerging.

A holistic assessment framework: Capacity Development 4.0 The frameworks, tools and measures used to assess and measure statistical capacity are being revised (Cameron et al., 2019; PARIS21, 2018b). One new

Figure 1. Mismatch between capabilities emphasised in external assessments and low-income countries’ own priorities

Source: Statistical Capacity Development Outlook 2019, based on “Survey results: new approaches to capacity development and future priorities”, PARIS21, Paris, https://paris21.org/capacity-development-40/cd40-survey

initiative – the Capacity Development 4.0 framework – takes a more comprehensive approach to individual skills and organisational practices, recognising leadership, management and communication skills as effective catalysers of stronger organisational processes in National Statistical Systems. PARIS21 and its partners are reflecting on new indicators to measure statistical capacity that take into account these new dimensions, and that allow for the identification of deficiencies in unexplored capacity areas (including, for example, indicators on institutional independence, leadership, mobility, individual skills and data use).

A global financing mechanism Delivering on these expanded capacity needs will require additional resources and better co-ordination of existing efforts. A more co-ordinated and balanced approach to financing statistics could lead to better results in statistical capacity. The international support to statistics in low-income countries over the period 200616 represented, on average, 0.3% of official development assistance (ODA). Over this period, external partners have increased their financial commitments to data for development. However, support towards the statistical sector is fragmented and not co-ordinated sufficiently.

The thematic and regional concentration of partners poses some challenges for planning and Page 1 ofimplementation 1 (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Allocation of international commitments to statistics by region

Percentage of total commitments by geographic regions. «Unallocated» indicates global projects, projects target on multiple regions or projects of which information on recipient is not available.

Source: PARIS21, based on Partner Report on Support to Statistics (PRESS) data.

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter 15

New mechanisms that are being discussed for improving development partners’ co-ordination in data and statistics include the creation of a global financing facility or similar new funding mechanisms for development data. Such a facility could raise political awareness and demand for data, improve alignment with national priorities, promote development partner co-ordination and speed up access to finance at scale (Calleja and Rogerson, 2019).

OECD (2017), “Development Co-operation Report 2017: Data for Development”, OECD Publishing, Paris, http:// dx.doi.org/10.1787/dcr-2017-en.

Next steps for statistical capacity-building

PARIS21 (2018a), “Survey results: new approaches to capacity development and future priorities”, PARIS21, Paris, https://paris21.org/capacity-development-40/ cd40-survey.

Building on the above, a few areas where the Statistical Capacity Development Outlook calls for action include: •• Re-thinking the measurement of, and approaches to, statistical capacity development, taking a much more holistic and co-ordinated approach that responds more closely to low-income countries’ needs. Innovative approaches to measurement and new indicators in different areas of capacity should be part of this agenda.

•• Securing more and better funding. Without more and better investment, we will make little progress in producing high-quality data for the public good. While financing is certainly not the only driver, the current levels of both domestic and international support for data and statistics in low-income countries are simply too modest to respond to the increasing demand driven by global initiatives such as the SDGs. Ultimately, delivering better statistical capacity will involve re-thinking our current approach, putting countries’ priorities at the centre, improving co-ordination mechanisms and integrating more flexible practices to build capacity.

To read the full Statistical Capacity Development Outlook 2019, visit https://paris21.org/flagship/2019 References Calleja, R., Rogerson, A. (2019) “Mobilising Data for the SDGs”, PARIS21 Discussion Paper, No. 15, Paris. https:// paris21.org/sites/default/files/2019-01/Mobilising%20 Data%20for%20the%20SDGs%20(DP15)_0.pdf Cameron, G. J., Dang, H., Dinc, M., Foster, J. S. and M. Lokshin (2019), “Measuring the statistical capacity of nations” (English), Policy Research Working Paper No. WPS 8693, World Bank Group, Washington, DC, http://documents. worldbank.org/curated/en/304431546956224461/ Measuring-the-Statistical-Capacity-of-Nations.

16 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

PARIS21 (2017), “Proposing a framework for Statistical Capacity Development 4.0”, PARIS21, Paris, https:// paris21.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/CD4.0Framework_final.pdf.

PARIS21 (2018b), “Measuring statistical capacity development: a review of current practices and ideas for the future – moving towards Statistical Capacity 4.0”, PARIS21 Discussion Paper No. 11, PARIS21, Paris, https://paris21.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/ Measuring-Statistical-Capacity-Development_draft.pdf.

The 2019 OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators The OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators (http://oe.cd/productivitycompendium), an annual publication, aims to inform the policy debate with a consistent set of annual estimates of labour, capital and multifactor productivity growth, unit labour costs and related indicators for OECD member countries and key partner economies. It draws attention to the contributions of individual industries to productivity growth, the performance of SMEs relative to large firms across countries and industries, and the importance of global value chains.

The 2019 edition reveals that labour productivity growth in the OECD area remains weak and well below pre-crisis rates. Since 2010, annual growth in labour productivity has slowed to 0.9%, about half the rate recorded in the pre-crisis period (Figure 1). Post-crisis labour productivity growth has also slowed in countries with relatively low labour productivity levels, undermining the pace of convergence towards higher labour productivity. The 2019 Compendium also shows that, on the back of weak productivity growth and with post-crisis investment rates still below pre-crisis levels in many economies, GDP-per-capita growth has been largely sustained by increases in labour utilisation, as employment rates have climbed to historic highs in most countries. However, in the majority of OECD economies, most jobs have been created in low productivity and low wage industries, weighing down on overall labour productivity and wages.

Figure 1. Labour productivity growth in the OECD, selected countries GDP per hour worked, total economy, percentage change at annual rate 1995-2000

2000-2005

2005-2010

2010-2014

2014-2018

2.5 2.0

2.0 1.6 1.5 1.0

1.0

1.0

1.9 1.6

0.7

1.0 0.8

0.6

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.5 0.0

Euro area

European Union

OECD

Major seven countries 1995-2000

3.0

2000-2005

2005-2010

2010-2014

2014-2018

2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 -0.5

Canada

France

Germany

Italy

Japan

United Kingdom

United States

OECD countries with lowest labour productivity levels 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 -1.0 -2.0

1995-2000

Chile

Estonia

2000-2005

Greece

Hungary

2005-2010

Korea

2010-2014

Latvia

Mexico

2014-2018

Poland

Portugal

Source: OECD Productivity Statistics (database), http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/pdtvy-data-en, April 2019

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter  17

Recent publications OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook 2019 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been a significant driver of employment growth in recent years, mainly through the creation of new firms, including in high-growth sectors such as information and communication technologies (ICT). But the new OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook highlights that most SME job creation has been in sectors with below average productivity levels, with SMEs typically paying employees around 20 percent less than large firms.

While SMEs are more engaged in new organisational or marketing practices than large firms, and sometimes more innovative in developing new products and processes, many continue to struggle disproportionately to navigate the increasing complexity in technologies and markets.

OECD (2019), OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook 2019, OECD Publishing, Paris www.oecd.org/industry/oecd-sme-and-entrepreneurship-outlook-2019-34907e9c-en.htm

OECD Skills Outlook 2019: Thriving in a Digital World Governments must urgently step up their efforts to improve their education and training policies to help more people reap the benefits of the digital transformation and to reduce the risk of automation widening inequalities and driving unemployment, according to a new OECD report.

The OECD Skills Outlook 2019, which is part of the Organisation’s “I am the Future of Work” campaign, shows that as job markets evolve in response to technological change, some countries are better prepared than others as a result of the skill levels of their populations.

OECD (2019), OECD Skills Outlook 2019: Thriving in a Digital World, OECD Publishing, Paris www.oecd.org/education/oecd-skills-outlook-2019-df80bc12-en.htm

OECD Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work Governments need to overhaul their approach to employment and jobs to reduce further social and economic tensions, according to a new report from the OECD. Without rapid action, many people, particularly the low skilled, will be left behind in the fast-changing world of work.

The OECD Employment Outlook 2019 is part of the OECD’s Future of Work initiative and the “I am the Future of Work” campaign, which aims to make the future of work better for all, helping to transform learning and social protection systems and reduce inequalities between people and across regions.

OECD (2019), OECD Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work, OECD Publishing, Paris. www.oecd.org/employment/outlook/

18 The OECD Statistics Newsletter - Issue No. 70, June 2019

Forthcoming meetings Unless otherwise indicated attendance at OECD meetings and working parties is by invitation only.

OECD Date

Meeting

17-19 June 2019

The New .Stat Suite – From idea to reality, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France https://siscc.org/workshops/annual-workshops/2019-community-workshop Working Party on Tourism Statistics - 3rd Session, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD, Paris, France Meeting of the Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP), Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France DAC Working Party on Development Finance Statistics (WP-STAT), Development Co-operation Directorate, OECD, Paris, France Expert Group on Extended Supply-Use Tables, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France

24-25 June 2019 24-25 June 2019 1-3 July 2019 9-10 September 2019

26-27 September 2019 Workshop on Time Series Methods for Official Statistics, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France - www.oecd.org/sdd/leading-indicators/workshop-on-time-series-methods-for-official-statistics.htm 1-2 October 2019 OECD Trust in Business Initiative, Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, OECD, Paris, France - www.oecd.org/daf/ca/trust-business.htm 2-4 October 2019 Policy applications of well-being metrics, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France Inter-Agency Task Force on International Trade Statistics (TFITS), Statistics and Data 9-11 October 2019 Directorate, OECD, Paris, France 16-19 October 2019 7th SDMX Global Conference, Statistics and Data Directorate, Budapest, Hungary 22-24 October 2019 23-24 October 2019 29-31 October 2019 4-8 November 2019 5 November 2019 13-14 November 2019

14-15 November 2019 25 November 2019 11-13 December 2019

Working Group on International Investment Statistics (WGIIS), Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, OECD, Paris, France International Conference on the Policy Uses of Well-being and Sustainable Development Indicators in Latin America and the Caribbean, Statistics and Data Directorate, Bogotá, Colombia Working Group on International Investment Statistics (WGIIS), Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, OECD, Paris, France Working Party on National Accounts (WPNA) and Working Party on Financial Statistics (WPFS), Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France 3rd Meeting of the Working Party for the OECD Patient Reported Indicator Surveys, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD, Paris, France Workshop on the Use of Economic Tendency Surveys to Assess Potential Growth and the Position of Economies in the Business Cycle, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France - www.oecd.org/sdd/leading-indicators/ciret-kof-oecd-insee-workshop-paris-2019.htm 9th Joint EC/OECD Workshop on recent developments in Business and Consumer Surveys, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD, Paris, France - www.oecd.org/sdd/leading-indicators/bcs2019.htm Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum, OECD, Paris, France Working Party of National Experts on Science and Technology Indicators (NESTI), Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, OECD, Paris, France

Other meetings 15-16 June 2019

G20 Japan 2019, Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth, Karuizawa, Japan - www.japan.go.jp/g20japan/karuizawa.html 28-29 June 2019 G20 Japan 2019, Summit & Ministerial Meetings, Osaka, Japan - www.japan.go.jp/g20japan/osaka.html 1-2 September 2019 G20 Japan 2019, Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting, Matsuyama, Japan www.japan.go.jp/g20japan/matsuyama.html 4-6 September 2019 World Economic Forum on Africa, Cape Town, South Africa www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-on-africa 23-24 September 2019 Sustainable Development Impact Summit, World Economic Forum, New York, United States www.weforum.org/events/c8a9b47272 18-20 October 2019 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C, United States 25-28 October 2019 G20 Japan 2019, Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, Kutchan, Japan - www.japan.go.jp/g20japan/kutchan.html 11-22 November 2019 COP25 - Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Santiago, Chile, http://sdg.iisd.org/events/unfccc-cop-25/ 22-23 November 2019 G20 Japan 2019, Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Nagoya, Japan - www.japan.go.jp/g20japan/nagoya.html

Issue No. 70, June 2019 - The OECD Statistics Newsletter 19

The Statistics Newsletter

for the extended OECD statistical network Issue 70 - June 2019 http://oe.cd/statisticsnewsletter To receive the OECD Statistics Newsletter by email, you can subscribe to OECDdirect e-mails: www.oecd.org/sdd/how-to-subscribe-to-stats-newsletters.htm

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