Statistical Office in Szczecin, Statistics Poland

Statistical Office in Szczecin, Statistics Poland

Urząd Statystyczny, w Szczecinie

ul. Jana Matejki 22, 70-530 Szczecin

Poland

The EU survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals is an annual survey conducted since 2002. In Poland, it has been conducted since 2004.

In 2023, the survey collects data on the access to information and communication technologies (ICT), on the use of the internet, e-government, electronic identification (eID) and e-commerce, e-skills, as well as privacy and protection of personal data.

National language: Wskaźniki społeczeństwa informacyjnego  

English: Information Society Indicators

Questionnaire(s) in national language(s) and the translation in English are available in the Annexes below.

The following common concepts and definitions apply under the Integrated European Social Statistics (IESS):

• the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011 published in the following breakdowns: low (ISCED levels 0-2: no formal education, primary education or lower secondary education), medium (ISCED levels 3-4: upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education) and high (ISCED levels 5-6: tertiary programmes which normally need a successful completion of ISCED 3 or 4, or second-stage tertiary education leading to an advanced research qualification);
• the International Standard Classification for Occupation ISCO-08 at the 2-digit level;
• the Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev.2-2008), at section level;
• the Common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS 1) – finer granularity of NUTS 2 is provided on optional basis by some Member States;
• the SCL – Geographical code list;
• information about household income is provided at lower level of detail. 

Additional classifications used in the national questionnaire:   No additional classifications.

The ICT survey in households and by individuals covers those households having at least one member in the age group 16 to 74 years old. Internet access of households refers to the percentage of households that have an internet access, so that anyone in the household could use the internet.

There are no differences in scope at a national level. 

The survey is collecting data of internet users, individuals who have used the internet in the three months prior to the survey. 

This annual survey is used to benchmark ICT-driven developments, both by following developments for core variables over time and by looking in greater depth at other aspects at a specific point in time. While the survey initially concentrated on access and connectivity issues, its scope has subsequently been extended to cover a variety of subjects (for example, the use of internet, e-government, eID,  and e-commerce, e-skills and privacy and protection of personal data) and socio-economic analysis (such as regional diversity, gender specificity, differences in age, education and the employment situation). The scope of the survey with respect to different technologies is also adapted so as to cover new product groups and means of delivering communication technologies to end-users.

For more details on the methodology applicable in each survey year, please consult the Compiler's Manual for the respective year (Methodological Manual - Information society statistics).

Deviations from standard ICT concepts: No deviations

Households and Individuals

In the ICT usage survey, the target population for the different statistical units is:

- individuals: all individuals aged 16 to 74;

- households: all (private) households with at least one member aged 16 to 74. 

Target population composed of households and/or individuals:

• Number of households:  11 627 662
• Number of individuals:  25 953 600

Non-compulsory age groups also included in the target population:

Entire territory of Poland

Year 2023

Not applicable

Percentages of ‘Households’ and Percentages of ‘Individuals’

For most questions the reference period is the last three months before the interview. Questions in the modules on e-government and eID refer to the 'last year' before the interview.

Deviation from this assertion: no deviations

From 03.04.2023 until 31.05.2023

The legal basis for the 2023 EU survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals is the Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 October 2019 establishing a common framework for European statistics relating to persons and households, based on data at individual level collected from samples (OJ  L 261 I, 14.10.2019, p. 1), as implemented by the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1399 of 1 August 2022 specifying the technical items of the data set, establishing the technical formats for transmission of information and specifying the detailed arrangements and content of the quality reports on the organisation of a sample survey in the use of information and communication technologies domain for reference year 2023 in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 213, 16.08.2022, pp. 13-56) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2279 of 1 August 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council by specifying the number and titles of the variables for the use of information and communication technologies statistics domain for the reference year 2023.

Complementary national legislation constituting the legal basis for the survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals:  Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 7 October 2022 on the Programme of statistical surveys of official statistics for 2023 (Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 7 października 2022 r. w sprawie Programu badań statystycznych statystyki publicznej na rok 2023)

Not available

The Act of 29 June 1995 on official statistics -  Article 10

There are no identifiable individual data in the microdata.

There is a calendar for the statistical outputs on the Statistics Poland website.

The calendar is available at: https://stat.gov.pl/en/release-calendar/

Every year, the date of publication of the news release with data for a given year is set. After this date, result tables with all data are posted on the website, and then the data are also published in publications such as Information society in Poland in 2023 or the Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Poland 2023.

Annual

News release with data for 2023: Statistics Poland / Topics / Science and Technology / Information society / Information society in Poland in 2023

Information society in Poland, 2023 publication available at: Statistics Poland / Topics / Science and Technology / Information society / Information society in Poland in 2023

Strateg database: https://strateg.stat.gov.pl/#/

Tables with all data: Główny Urząd Statystyczny / Obszary tematyczne / Nauka i technika. Społeczeństwo informacyjne / Społeczeństwo informacyjne / Wykorzystanie technologii informacyjno-komunikacyjnych w jednostkach administracji publicznej, przedsiębiorstwach i gospodarstwach domowych w 2023 roku

Not available

At the request of researchers, microdata can be made available to them in the form of unidentified data.

Folder in the form of a leaflet for participants of the next edition of the survey

Not available

- Methodological report. Information society indicators https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/science-and-technology/information-society/methodological-report-information-society-indicators-surveys-on-the-use-of-information-and-communication-technologies,3,2.html

- Handbook for interviewers (not posted on-line)

It is difficult to estimate, but probably above 90%

- Methodological Manual

- Methodological book of Information society indicators

The survey implements all survey guidelines that are developed in Statistics Poland.

Every year, training for interviewers is carried out before each edition of the survey. In addition, during each edition opinions are collected from respondents and interviewers and are carefully analysed after the survey.

Every year, indicators concerning the completeness of the survey or non-responses are also analysed.

There were no significant problems and all works were conducted at the highest level.

1. Public administration,
2. Nationwide and local media,
3. Enterprises,
4. Eurostat and other foreign statistical institutions,
5. Associations, organizations, foundations,
6. Institutions of the higher education and science system (research workers, academic teachers, students, PhD students)

Every year, data recipients may submit their comments on the scope of collected data and propose what should be changed or introduced to the survey.

All variables required for transmission have been included in the microdata.

100%

As random errors are unavoidable, Statistics Poland tries to minimize them by increasing sample size – trying to convince respondents to take part in the survey by informing them about significance of the survey, offering possibility of self-enumeration, and including a reserve sample for the main sample to increase the number of surveyed households and individuals.

 The main source of systematic errors are faults in the design of a questionnaire, respondents who do not understand questions in a questionnaire and mistakes done by interviewers. In order to minimize these errors, questionnaires are reviewed and additional explanations and examples are included and interviewers undergo a training before the survey begins. Moreover, validation rules implemented in application help detect mistakes.

The sampling error reflects the fact that only a particular sample was surveyed rather than the entire population. It is estimated by the standard error and can be expressed by the square root of the estimate of the sampling variance . The estimation of the sampling variance should ideally take into account the sampling design (e.g. the stratification).

Calculation methods for the variance estimation (SE): Taylor linearisation method was used to compile survey results. It belongs to approximate analytical methods for calculating variance estimation. 

Used tools: self-crafted tool (Taylor linearization). 

Basic formula of estimation method is annexed below. 

References: SAS/STAT® 14.2 User’s Guide The SURVEYMEANS Procedure

Czeslaw Bracha „Teoretyczne podstawy metody reprezentacyjnej” PWN 1996.

Precision estimates for the question "Individuals having ordered goods or services for private use over the internet in the last 12 months" (individuals who ticked 'Within the last 3 months' or 'Between 3 months and a year ago' in in the question “When did  you last buy or order goods or services for private use over the internet?”):

Number of respondents (absolute value for ‘Yes’ answers): 5781 

Estimated proportion (in %):   64.32

Standard error (in percentage points): 0.82

Details of the breakdowns are available in document INFOSOC_HHNSI_A_2023 in the Annexes below. 

See more details on non-sampling error below.

The survey frame is composed of two subsamples – one newly drawn for the survey and the second one which took part in the previous year. In the case of continuing sample - overcoverage rate is rather small – does not exceed 5%. For example, in 2023 the number of dwellings without any person aged 16-74 amounted to 779 out of total of 9771 dwellings. In order to mitigate coverage error, wrong addresses are removed from a continuing sample and replaced with new ones.

Below 8%

Not requested in the ICT survey.

1)    Measurement errors:

Measurement errors mainly apply to respondent errors and interviewer errors. In order to avoid them, explanations in the questionnaire and handbook for interviewers are more accurate and training for interviewers is conducted.

2)    Questionnaire design and testing:

An application for interviewers and on-line application for respondents are tested by interviewers and coordinators before the survey begins.

3)    Interviewer training:

Before the survey begins, interviewers receive a handbook which includes all relevant information for the survey – clarification of questions from the questionnaires and applicable procedures. Moreover, training for interviewers and coordinators is conducted.

4)     Proxy interview rates:

Proxy interviews are not conducted. Every member of a household aged 16-74 has to give answers on his/her own.

Information about non-respondents: data is not available.

The unit non-response rate is the ratio of the number of in-scope non-respondents (= number of rejected interviews) to the number of eligible elements selected from the sampling frame.

Unit non-response rate for:

• Households:   29.7%
• Individuals (aged 16-74): 20.0%

 Comments, if any:no additional comments.

1)   Methods used for dealing with unit non-response: 

The correction of weights used in the grossing up procedure was applied in order to reduce the influence of unit non-response.

For households, correction of weights was performed taking into account unit non-response in each of 6 locality size classes. Furthermore, an ex post calibration was applied, using information on the structure of households by size (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and more persons) with members aged 16-74 and information on population structure by sex and age groups living in urban or rural area (total of 24 classes) from the 2021 National Census in Poland.

For individuals, the correction was applied taking into account the 6 locality classes (urban/rural), sex, age groups – total of 24 classes.

2)   Methods used for minimizing unit non-response:  

Letters stating the purpose, importance and confidentiality rules of the survey were sent prior to the visits of interviewers in order to encourage respondents to participate in the survey. Respondents were also informed about the purpose and importance of the data collection personally by interviewers. They received a leaflet presenting some results of survey conducted in the previous year.

In some regions, local newspapers published an article informing about the survey, giving some general information about the scope of the survey and informing that the interviewers of Statistical Offices will be visiting some households.

In case of no contact with the household, the interviewer makes maximum of 3 visits at the selected address. In case of some household members’ absence, interviewers visited the households another time in order to complete the missing interviews. If more convenient, the questionnaires for individuals might have been left to the respondents for filling in by themselves. Then the filled-in forms were gathered by the interviewer on a prearranged day.

Even in cases when the questionnaires were left to fill in by respondents themselves, they were checked carefully and completed by interviewers during the second visit in the household.

Furthermore, interviewers were prepared to help respondents in proper classification of the types of Internet connections used in their homes, which contributed to reduce the number of refusals (as item non-response were not allowed by CAPI system).

The panel half sample was checked on the basis of the previous survey results and wrong addresses (non-residential, summer cottages, abandoned buildings, etc.) were eliminated from the sample and replaced by newly selected ones from the same Census Enumeration Areas (CEA).

In addition, in case of no contact with the household or interview not conducted because of other reasons, there was a possibility to go to another address from an additional sample. The additional replacing address used was from the same Census Enumeration Areas (CEA) as the targeted address.

3)   Substitution permitted:  No

4)   Substitution rate (in %): 0

Items with low response rates (observed rates in %): Household’s income (37.6%)

Processing errors do not have a significant impact on final data processing results. In order to avoid them validation control in an application for interviewers and on-line application for respondents was implemented as well as logical and arithmetic control, and correction of datasets on a voivodship and national level. 

Not requested for ICT Survey

Date of data dissemination at national level: 19 October 2023

0 days

0 days

There is no problem of comparability across the country’s regions.

Not relevant

Possible limitations in the use of data for comparisons over time:  Not relevant.

The length of comparable time series depends on the module and variable considered within each of the modules of the survey.

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

All statistics are coherent within the dataset

MANDATORY questions in the Eurostat model questionnaire 2023:

Table 15.4.1. of document INFOSOC_HHNSI_A_2023 in the Annexes lists the questions for which the coverage of subjects and characteristics in national questionnaire differs from of Annex 2 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2279 of 1 August 2022. 

Adoption of OPTIONAL questions and items in the Eurostat model questionnaire 2023:

Table 15.4.2. of document INFOSOC_HHNSI_A_2023 in the Annexes lists the optional questions from the annual Eurostat model questionnaire 2023 included in the national questionnaire and their coverage for age groups beyond the standard scope. 

Additional questions introduced in the national questionnaire in 2023: 

Details of the questions are in document INFOSOC_HHNSI_A_PL_2023_000_an_8 available in the Annexes below.

Effects of deviations from the routing used in the Eurostat model questionnaire:  All statistics are coherent within the dataset.

Preliminary data are not available

There are no revisions to report

Not relevant

The source of the raw data is described with more details in the paragraphs below.

The basis for sampling was the Sampling Frame for Social Surveys (OBS) which includes (among others) information about:

- Census Enumeration Areas (CEA),

- dwelling addresses.

The first stage sampling frame was a record of about 29 thousand PSUs (Primary Sampling Units). They are single CEAs or sets of CEAs consisting of at least 250 dwellings for urban area and 150 dwellings for rural area.

The second stage sampling frame was based on the register of inhabited dwellings in the PSUs drawn in the first stage.

Different frames are used for grossing up.

RDD is not used. 

The sample is not drawn from another survey sample, a micro-census or a master sample. 

The survey is stand-alone survey. 

The survey is voluntary. 

The sampling frame does not cover collective accommodation establishments such as student dormitories, employee hostels, social welfare homes, convents, hospitals, barracks, prisons, etc.

A time lag between the last update of the sampling frame and the moment of the actual survey is about 1 year.

The sampling design is a probability design.

Number of sampling stages: 2

Stratification at the first stage is explicit. Stratification variables include NUTS 2 (16 voivodships) and a size of locality.

Method used to select the sample (for the sampling units): other proportional-to-size (pps) sampling

First stage - unit: PSUs are Census Enumeration Areas or sets of them which consist of at least 250 dwellings for urban area and 150 dwellings for rural area.

Second stage - unit: dwellings

Ultimate stage - unit: dwellings

Number of individuals interviewed in the household: all individuals aged 16-74

Longitudinal component: Each half of the sample participated in the survey for 2 consecutive years, e.g. the sample drawn in 2022 participates in the survey in the years 2023 and 2024.

Annual

1) Methods used to gather data: CAWI/CAII and CAPI

2) Short description of the survey method: 

The survey was conducted with the use of an on-line form (CAWI/CAII) and as personal interviews (CAPI).

First 2 weeks were dedicated only for CAWI/CAII method, next 6 weeks for CAPI method.

The share of individuals who completed a questionnaire via CAII method amounted to 2%, while via CAPI - 98%. 

3) Variables completed from an external source: No variables were completed from an external source. 

After completion of the fieldwork by the interviewers, the correctness of the collections is checked in two stages - first at the provincial level, and then - nationwide.

During the inspection, inspectors and local coordinators explain with interviewers unclear situations or errors in data registration. All discretionary errors that remain in the set must be analyzed by interviewers and approved by voivodship coordinators. Then, after the information is sent to the Statistical Office in Szczecin on the approval of the collections of individual provinces, the correctness and completeness of the collections are checked at the national level.

Imputation for item non-response concerns mainly data on the income of a household as well as some cases regarding expenditures on goods or services bought over the Internet, occupation and economic sector.

Hot-deck within classes method is used. Imputed value is drawn from a donor belonging to the same imputation class. Imputation classes are defined with hierarchical criteria. Qualitative features, on the basis of which classes are determined, are enumerated from the most important to least important.  If there are not enough donors in lower level, a higher level class is used (till a minimal number of donors is reached). The minimal size of a class is 3 donors.

For a variable 'income of a household' the following criteria were used to create imputation classes:

• number of persons in a household (4 levels of detail)
• class of locality  
• voivodship

For the target indicator "Individuals having ordered goods or services for private use over the internet in the last 12 months" (individuals who ticked 'Within the last 3 months' or 'Between 3 months and a year ago' in the question “When did you last buy or order goods or services for private use over the internet?”:

Imputation rate (% of observations): 0

Imputation rate (share of estimate): 0

Methods used to impute item non-response:  hot-deck within classes

Grossing up procedures have been applied to: Individuals and households

Description of the weighting procedures: See the document 'Description of the weighting procedures' annexed below.

Not relevant

Not relevant