Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS)

Department for Transport, Tourism and Information Society Statistics

Litostrojska cesta 54, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija 

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

In 2022, the survey collects data on the access to information and communication technologies (ICT), on the use of the internet, e-government, e-commerce, internet of things, as well as green ICT.

National language: Uporaba informacijsko-komunikacijske tehnologije (IKT) v gospodinjstvih in pri posameznikih

English: The usage of Information-communication Technologies (ICT) in households and by individuals

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

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 used in the national questionnaire.

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.

No differences in scope at national level.

The survey is collecting data of internet users, individuals who have used the internet in the three months prior to the survey. Regular internet users are individuals who used the internet, on average, at least once a week 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 e-government and e-commerce) 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 Methodological Manual for the respective year on CIRCABC - Methodological Manual - Information society statistics (europa.eu).

Deviations from standard ICT concepts: No deviations from standard ICT concepts.

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:   775 399
  
• Number of individuals: 1 562 370
  

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

The data refers to the whole country.

Year 2022

Not applicable

Percentages of ‘Households’ and Percentages of ‘Individuals’

First quarter of 2022 and the last 12 months before the interview.

1 April – 24 June 2022

The legal basis for the 2022 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) 2021/1223 of 27 July 2021 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 2022 pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 2269, 27.07.2021, pp. 1-45).

Complementary national legislation constituting the legal basis for the survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals: 

• Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys (LPSR) (only in Slovene),
• National Statistics Act (OJ RS, No. 45/95 and 9/01).

SURS is transmitting and sharing microdata of the survey with Eurostat in accordance with the above mentioned EU Regulations.

The National Statistics Act (hereinafter the ZDSta) stipulates within fundamental principles of national statistics in Article 2 that “national statistics shall be implemented on the principles of … confidentiality …”. The principle is concretised in further provisions of the ZDSta, while for explanation one can turn to some international documents. The United Nations Resolution on Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in 1994 and confirmed by the UN General Assembly on 29 January 2014) determines in Principle 6 that “individual data collected by statistical agencies for statistical compilation, whether they refer to natural or legal persons, are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes”.

All SURS employees are obliged to protect the content of personal and individual data and data on reporting units which they learn during their work as official secrecy. All employees sign a statement of data protection and thus confirm that they are informed about the issue. The obligation to protect the official secrecy continues after the termination of employment.

In line with the National Statistics Act (ZDSta) the statistical purpose is providing and disseminating aggregate data on mass phenomena. The ZDSta also stipulates that the data can be used exclusively for statistical purposes, i.e. for disseminating aggregate data, unless otherwise provided by law. On the basis of an application written by a user, individual data can be transmitted, but only in the form and way which does not enable the identification of the unit to which the data refer. The data that enable the identification of the unit to which they refer can only be transmitted to those units to which the data refer or if these units sent the data.

SURS can publish the data only in aggregate form, so that it is not possible to identify the unit to which the data refer. The data must be available in the same way (at the same time and under the same conditions) to all users. Only exceptionally can SURS publish individual data: upon written consent of the reporting unit to which the data refer that they agree with the publication of data in such a way or if the data are collected from public (generally accessible) data collections (records, registers, databases, etc.). For more info about statistical confidentiality and on personal data protection visit the SURS' website.

The release calendar is publicly accessible on the SURS' website.

Release calendar.

SURS provides access to official statistical data to all users. The latest statistical data are published in press releases every workday at 10:30 on the date announced in advance in the Release Calendar. The calendar also includes releases of authorised producers of national statistics, i.e. the National Institute of Public Health and the Bank of Slovenia. The dates of first releases are announced a year in advance, usually in November for the coming year. During the year, SURS prepares and publishes – depending on current events – special and experimental releases, which are also announced in the Release Calendar. Users can subscribe to receiving a weekly calendar on their e-mails every Monday at 9:00.

Press releases are published in Slovenian and English language. SURS makes sure that results of statistical surveys are presented in an unbiased, objective, clear and understandable way. It is important that the published data are of high quality, timely, and internationally comparable.

ICT statistics follows the described practices. Regular press releases are published in the Release Calendar one year in advance (3 press releases). SURS also publishes special releases on the topic of ICT – on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day and Safer Internet Day.

Annual

• First Release (Development and Technology, Information Society): "Usage of internet in households and by individuals, Slovenia, annually".
• Electronic Release (Development and Technology, Information Society): "Online purchases, Slovenia, annually".
• Electronic Release (Development and Technology, Information Society): "Usage of information-communication technologies in households and by individuals, detailed data, Slovenia, annually".

Non-applicable. Data are published in online database.

SiStat Database: Development and Technology – Digital society – Usage of information-communication technologies (ICT) in households, Usage of information-communication technologies (ICT) by individuals.

Not available.

Access to the micro data can be provided according to the established rules and procedures to researches. https://www.stat.si/StatWeb/en/StaticPages/Index/for-researchers

Non-applicable.

Not available.

Methodological explanations, quality report, national questionnaire can be found on SURS' website and are also available in the Annexes'.

The completeness rate is 100%.

Last year's Quality report is available on SURS' website and also in the Annexes'. Quality report for 2022 will be available in mid 2023.

The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS) operates on the basis of the National Statistics Act and Regulation (EC) No. 223/2009 on European statistics; in performing its tasks it follows the general principles of quality management, the European Statistics Code of Practice and the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. In line with the stated, SURS declares that it takes into account the following principles: professional independence, process orientation, quality of products and services, planning of improvements, stimulating working environment for employees, data providers-friendly official statistics, user-oriented official statistics. The principles are more in detail presented in the Quality Statement of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

Quality assurance in the survey by main activities:

- Preparation of the survey (translation and preparation of the questionnaire, etc.).

If needed, additional explanations and information are provided to individual questions to increase the quality and comparability of indicators. The methodological manual is consulted and, where necessary, also Eurostat. 

The methodologist for questionnaire design is always consulted in the process of translation and design. New questions are tested (cognitive testing). SURS also invites individuals to participate in the cognitive testing and financially compensate them for their willingness to help SURS to improve the questionnaire and data. Experiences and conclusions from the previous years are also taken into account when preparing the questionnaire. An electronic version of the questionnaire is prepared in Blaise (for web and CAPI interviewing). The program includes some basic soft controls to alert respondents to possible inconsistent answers provided and thus to increase the quality of data.

To assure a high response rate, SURS emphasises the importance of filling out the questionnaire, provide respondents two interviewing modes and sent out beside information letter also two remainders.

Actions carried out: preparation of electronic questionnaire that will be used to interview individuals selected in the sample (web, CAPI) and accompanying documents (information letter, reminders, etc.).

- Sampling design.

Appropriate sample is drawn that includes individuals aged 16–74 years living on the entire territory of Slovenia with the goal to achieve accurate, reliable and representative results. The size of the sample is sufficient to reach the accuracy requirements (i.e. net effective sample size as defined in the Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 to satisfy the requirements of the Regulation).    

Actions carried out: preparation of adequate net effective sample size of individuals aged 16–74 years.

- Fieldwork.

Individuals selected for the survey are interviewed first via the web questionnaire. Field interviewers (CAPI) interview individuals who did not fill out the web questionnaire by the deadline. Respondents are also able to obtain help how to access the web questionnaire via a free telephone number. At least two reminders are sent out. The number is limited to prevent a negative effect on the willingness of the individuals to participate in the survey. Field interviews are outsourced and conducted by external interviewers.

Interviewers who carry out CAPI are presented with the content and methodology of the survey in comprehensive instructions. A methodological manual is prepared and provided to interviewers. Already experienced interviewers are used where possible. Their work is supervised.

Where available, administrative data (of high quality) is used to lower the reporting burden and survey costs (e.g. education level).

Actions carried out: collection of accurate, reliable and representative data.

- Data review, data entry, data processing, editing and grossing-up.

The collected data is analysed, where needed corrected on the basis of logical imputations and weights calculated.

Actions carried out: data editing, calculation of weights.

- Preparation of microdata (coding) and the aggregation/tabulation of the data.

The microdata is prepared and aggregated in accordance with the instructions provided by Eurostat. Microdata is validated according to Eurostat's specifications and transmitted in accordance with the technical standards established by Eurostat in time as defined in the implementing regulation.

Actions carried out: completed (finalised, validated) microdata for the 2022 was transmitted to Eurostat and data aggregated for the purposes of dissemination on SURS’s website.

- Publication of the data and preparation of the data for detailed data publication. The data is  disseminated via SURS’s website in three press releases (October, November and December). Detailed data is published in the SiStat Database on SURS’s website and made available to policy users (ministries) and to the general public free of charge. Microdata of the survey will be made available to researches in accordance with established rules.

Actions carried out: survey data disseminated on the SURS website and in national publications.

- Preparation of reports. Information about the survey (Metadata and Quality Report) is submitted to Eurostat in the foreseen time and prepared for national needs to be published on SURS’s website. Other documents will be updated, e.g. methodological notes, documentation regarding survey implementation (to document how individual activities should be carried out in the next year and to record obtained experiences).

Actions carried out: Metadata and Quality Report prepared and transmitted to Eurostat, methodological note prepared and published, etc.

Where available, administrative data (of high quality) is used to lower the reporting burden and survey costs (e.g. education level).

Actions carried out: collection of accurate, reliable and representative data.

Quality dimensions
The quality of statistical data used to be dealt with mostly in connection with data accuracy in the narrow sense (as coherence between statistical data and exact values). In the last decade the statistical profession has made great progress towards broader understanding of the quality of statistical data. Quality is now dealt with in terms of different quality dimensions: relevance, accuracy of estimates, timeliness and punctuality of publication, accessibility and clarity of information, comparability of statistics and coherence of results. SURS regularly publishes reports on the quality of statistical surveys, which contain detailed descriptions of individual statistical surveys regarding all quality dimensions. Quality reports also contain the values of quality indicators, i.e. numerical values of achieved quality levels for individual quality components.

The research (survey) has a satisfactory quality. The biggest challenge is the formulation of questions. Due to technological advances and the content of the survey, these are often technical and difficult to understand for individuals in different age groups. Due to this reason, SURS cognitively tests the new questions.

Planned improvements:

- In order to reduce the non-response of units, efforts were intensified to emphasise the importance of participation in the survey;

- To reduce measurement errors, the questions were cognitively tested and, where necessary, additional explanations were provided.

At European level, the recommended use of the annual Eurostat model questionnaire aims at improving comparability of the results among the countries that conduct the survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals. Moreover, the Methodological Manual provides guidelines and clarifications for the implementation of the surveys in the Member States. National methodology follows the guidelines and clarifications of the methodological manual prepared by Eurostat.

At European level, European Commission users (e.g. DG CNECT, DG GROW, DG JUST, DG REGIO, DG JRC etc.) are the principal users of the data on ICT usage in households any by individuals and contribute in identifying/defining the topics to be covered. Hence, main users are consulted regularly (at hearings, task forces, ad hoc meetings) for their needs and are involved in the process of the development of the model questionnaires at a very early stage.

User needs are considered throughout the whole discussion process of the model questionnaires aiming at providing relevant statistical data for monitoring and benchmarking of European policies.

At national level, the key users of survey data are:

• Public sector (Ministry of Public Administration, Information Society and Informatics Directorate, Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development),
• Business entities,
• Science, research and education (University of Ljubljana: School of Economics and Business, Faculty of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences),
• General public,
• Media (STA and other media),
• Foreign users Eurostat, OECD, ITU,
• Internal users.

Direct communication with users takes place at the meetings of the Working Group on Information Society Statistics at Eurostat and the OECD and at the meetings of the statistical advisory committees group - the Statistical advisory committee for Digital Society Statistics. The members are representatives of key data users: from the public sector (Ministry of public administration), scientific sphere (University of Maribor) and they meet approximately every 18 months. The last meeting of the panel was on 14 April 2022. More information on the content of committee is available at: http://www.stat.si/statweb/NationalStatistics/AdvCommitteesDescription/91.

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

The completeness rate is 100% of mandatory variables.

The main sources of random and systematic errors in the survey can be errors in the preparation of the national questionnaire. These errors are avoided with the following activities: careful preparation of the questionnaire, consultation with the prepared Methodological manual and Eurostat if needed, cognitive testing of the questionnaire before the survey, inclusion of additional explanations in the questionnaire if needed. All of these activities were carried out. Therefore the overall accuracy was not compromised.

The reliability of data for some indicators can be lower due to low uptake of the usage of the specific ICT. The sample design and size is appropriate.

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).
More information on methodology for calculating precision estimates is detailed in the paragraphs below.

In statistical surveys different kinds of errors can occur (e.g. sampling error, nonresponse error, measurement error) influencing the accuracy of the statistical results. Errors deriving from the random mechanisms determine the precision of the statistical estimates. The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia draws attention to less precise estimates by flagging them with a special sign or by not publishing them at all.

Because the survey does not include all units of the target population but only a selected random sample, sampling errors appear in estimates. The sampling plan, the sample size and the variability of data determine how big a sampling error is. Therefore, the precision of estimates can vary.

The national rules for publication of data are:

1. If the table contains estimated population totals of (continuous) variables, publishing limitations are determined by the relative standard errors or the coefficients of variation (CV). In such cases it holds:

If the coefficient of variation (CV) of the estimate is:

• 10% or below (CV <= 10%) the estimate is of acceptable precision and is published without limitations;
• in the interval from 10% and up to 30% (10% < CV <= 30%) the estimate is less precise and is flagged for caution with letter M;
• over 30% (CV > 30%), the estimate is too imprecise to be published and therefore suppressed for use by letter N.

2. If the table contains estimated number of units with certain characteristics, publishing limitations are determined by the standard errors of the estimates (SE) of the proportions. In such cases it holds:

If the standard error (SE) of the estimate of a proportion is:

• 0.05 or below (SE <= 0.05) the estimate is of acceptable precision and is published without limitations;
• in the interval from 0.05 and up to 0.15 (0.05 < SE <= 0.15) the estimate is less precise and is flagged for caution with letter M;
• over 0.15 (SE > 0.15), the estimate is too imprecise to be published and therefore suppressed for use by letter N.

Sampling method references: SÄRDNAL, C., SWENSSON, B. in WRETMAN, J. (1992). Model assisted Survey Sampling. Springer-Verlag, New York.

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 question D1 of the 2022 model questionnaire):

Number of respondents (absolute value for ‘Yes’ answers):  1718

Estimated proportion (in %):  62.6%

Standard error (in percentage points):  0.9853

Details of the breakdowns are available in the table in the file INFOSOC_HHNSI_A_SI_2022_0000_an1 in the Annexes below. 

See more details on non-sampling error below.

The basis for the sample frame was the population table, on 1 October 2021. These data were updated with the Central Population Register (CRP), from 1 March 2022. With matching, these data are removed persons who from 1 October 2021 to 1 March 2022 died or moved abroad or to institutional households and reduced the over-coverage of the sample frame.

Because SURS built the sample frame from the last available data, there are very few ineligible people in the frame. These persons who, in the period from the preparation of the sampling frame to the collection, either died or moved abroad or to an institutional household. SURS detected only 1.7% ineligible persons, most of them moved abroad.

For people with whom the SURS was unable to make contact because the SURS could not contact them in person in field interviews, the SURS does not know whether they are eligible for the survey or not. Because the SURS estimate that most non-contacted persons are appropriate due to the quality of the sample frame, the SURS consider them to be nonresponse.

By definition, the residents of Slovenia has a permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia. Therefore, all residents of private households are in the sample frame and the SURS have virtually no undercoverage of the sample frame.

1.7%.

Not requested in the ICT survey.

1)       Measurement errors:  

The SURS have checked the collected data and edited the incorrect values, e.g. individuals answered that they were making calls over the Internet via their smartphone but at the same time answered that they were not making calls over the Internet at another question, the correction was made that they were making calls over the Internet.

2)       Questionnaire design and testing: 

The questionnaire is cognitively pre-tested with several respondents to provide the SURS feedback whether it is understandable. Questionnaire is designed with several logical controls in-mind, which help respondents and interviewers.

3)       Interviewer training: 

Interviewers receive detailed instructions (see Annexes) and they are acquainted with the survey via a presentation made by the SURS. During their interviewing, the SURS provides them guidance if needed.

4)       Proxy interview rates: No proxy interviews are conducted.

Information about non-respondents: 

Less educated people participate the least. As the SURS also collected data by field interviews, the SURS also received a good response from people aged 64 to 74, as they are more frequently available in person than through WEB questionnaire. Otherwise, there is no significant deviation from the average participation rate, so the structure of responses was calibrated to population values.

The unit response rate is the ratio of the number of in-scope respondents (= the number of achieved interviews or the net sample size to the number of eligible elements selected from the sampling frame).

Unit non-response rate for

• Households: 37.5%
• Individuals (aged 16-74): 37.5%

 Comments, if any: No additional comments.

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

Unit non-response was compensated with weighting according to the strata variables statistical units and types of settlement.

2)       Methods used for minimizing unit non-response: 

Information brochure was sent out with advance letter to selected individual emphasising the importance of the participation in the survey. Steps for filling out the WEB questionnaire were included.

The SURS sent three reminders with the request to fill out the web questionnaire. In the fourth reminder SURS informed respondents that field interviewing will be conducted or they can do telephone interviews with the field interviewer. The SURS emphasises that the respondents should fill out the web questionnaire, even if they are not Internet users, and that information for not using the Internet is important too.

3)       Substitution permitted:  No.

4)       Substitution rate (in %): Not applicable.

Items with low response rates (observed rates in %): 0%.

There were no processing errors.

Not requested for ICT Survey

First results were published on 6 October 2022. All data was published in the SURS' Sistat database on 5 December 2022. 

0 day(s).

Data were delivered and published on the target date as planned.

The data are comparable between geographical areas and with the data from other members of the European Statistical System.

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 2022:

The table in the file INFOSOC_HHNSI_A_SI_2022_0000_an1 in the Annexes lists the questions that do not reflect the coverage of subjects and characteristics of Annex 2 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1898 of the 20 July 2021. 

Adoption of OPTIONAL questions and items in the Eurostat model questionnaire 2022:

The table in the file INFOSOC_HHNSI_A_SI_2022_0000_an1 in the Annexes lists the optional questions from the annual Eurostat model questionnaire 2022 included in the national questionnaire and their coverage for age groups beyond the standard scope. 

Additional questions introduced in the national questionnaire:

• Conducting health related activities over the Internet: b) Making an appointment with a practitioner in the hospital via a web form, e.g. via the eNaročanje application; c) Making an appointment with a chosen (family) practitioner via a web form;
• Usage of open source services: a) web browsers; b) open source word processing software; c) encyclopaedia, open source maps or programs for instant messaging, making video calls; d) open source contents management systems (e.g. WordPress);
• Number and value of online purchases in the last 3 months;
• Motives for online purchasing in the last 3 months: a) saved money; b) saved time; etc.
• Usage of mobile phones and activities carried out via smartphone;
• Reason for not using the Internet (individuals).

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

Users are informed about data revisions. Annually, usually in January, SURS prepares the list of statistical surveys subject to planned revision of statistical data (Slovene only). Users are also informed when the data are released.

Each data release contains information about the status of published data: they can be final or provisional data or experimental statistics. The exception is national and regional accounts data. In publishing these data, the status is marked as “no status”. After publishing provisional data, final data are always published. 

As regards the SiStat Database, the status of data is stated in table titles if the data are provisional or if this is experimental statistics. If the status in not stated, the data are final. In the SiStat Database, the latest version of revised data always replaces the older.

https://www.stat.si/dokument/5299/RevisionOfStatisticalDataMEgeneral.pdf

Data are not revised at ICT survey.

Not relevant

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

The basis for the sample frame is the population table which is updated with the latest data from Central Population Register (CRP). Finally, sample variables (strata, sample units) are added to the newest framework. Sample units were built from enumeration areas and once per year are refreshed with the newest data.

Observation units are individuals aged 16–74 years and their households. Individuals are observed by age groups and sex, by education and sex, by status of activity and by degree of urbanisation, by cohesion and statistical region and their households by type of the household, by degree of urbanisation and by cohesion and statistical region.

The survey is based on a sample, which includes only a part of the target population, on the basis of which we conclude about the characteristics of the entire population.

The survey is stand-alone survey and participation is voluntary.

There are no known shortcomings in the survey.

The sample is stratified two-stage. Strata are defined by statistical region (12 regions) and type of settlement within the statistical region (5 types). At the first stage 563 sampling units were selected with the probability proportional to size (PPS with replacement). At the second stage 8 individuals per PSU were selected. The sample size is 4504 persons. The number of persons in an individual stratum is proportional to the share of persons aged 16–74 years living in an individual statistical region and in an individual type of settlement. One individual is interviewed in the household. The sampling design is a probability design.

Annual

1) Methods used to gather data:

WEB (50.5%) and CAPI (49.5%).

2) Short description of the survey method:

SURS collected the data via online questionnaire in combination with field interviews (CAPI). The selected person answers the questions. The majority of questions (questionnaire "Usage of information-communication technologies (ICT) in households and by individuals" – IKT-GOSP) refer to the selected person. A minor part of the questions refers to the household of the selected person (equipment of the household with ICT).

3) Variables completed from an external source:

As mentioned in the excel file in Annexes the following variables were completed from an external source (administrative source like CRP-Central Population Register or other administrative sources):

Mandatory:

• G1.      Age in completed years
• G2.      Sex
• G3.      Country of birth
• G4.      Country of main citizenship
• G5.      Educational attainment level (highest level of education successfully completed) according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011):
• G6.      Main activity status (self-defined)                                                                                              
• G7.      Status in employment in the main job                                                                                       
• G11.    Occupation in the main job
• G12.    Region of Residence < description > NUTS1
• G14.    Geographical location
• G15.    Degree of urbanisation

Optional variables:

• G8.      Full- or part-time main job (self-defined)
• G9.      Permanency of main job
• G10.    Economic activity of the local unit for the main job
• G13.    Region of Residence (NUTS2)

Data are validated during the transmission process according to Eurostat's standards. Data were edited with the combination of systematic corrections, individual corrections and imputation procedures. The following imputation methods were used: logical imputations and hot-deck imputations.

The basis for the sampling frame is the demographic database built and updated by the Central Population Register (CRP). Target persons (persons aged between 16 and 74 years) are randomly selected from the frame.

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 question D1 of the 2022 model questionnaire):

Imputation rate (% of observations): 0%

Imputation rate (share of estimate): 0%

Methods used to impute item non-response:  Mean/Median by class and Hot-deck.

Grossing up procedures have been applied to: 

Since the survey questions were targeted to selected persons and also to households, two different weights were calculated:

a. household weight and

b. person weight. 

Description of the weighting procedures:

Household

The household weight was calculated as a product of:

- sampling weight - due to unequal probability of selection of households (since the Central Register of Population (CRP), households with more eligible persons (aged between 16 and 74 years) have a larger probability of selection than households with fewer eligible persons), 

- weight due to non-response and

- calibration weights – from household data of the 2021 register census the SURS calibrated weights according to the distribution of target households to the statistical region, type of settlement and size of households.

The calculated weights for households were grossed up to the population of households with at least one person aged 16-74 years in Slovenia according to estimated size of population of households. In Slovenia, there were 775 399 such households.

Person

The person weight was calculated as a product of:

- sampling weight – the SURS uses proportionate stratification n_h/N_h=n/N (self-weighted sample)

- weight due to non-response on the level of type of settlement,

- post-stratification weight – weights were post stratified according to the share of the population on the level of statistical region and type of settlement. The population distribution is known from the population data.

- At the end the raking procedure was employed to calculate weight with which the obtained distribution is calibrated to the known population values. For the calibration the following variables were used: age, gender, statistical region, type of settlement, education and activity. For the population values of Demographic database was employed. The database was updated in January 2022.

The final weights were used for grossing up to the population of persons aged 16 to 74 years in Slovenia. On 1 January 2022 there were 1 562 370 inhabitants aged from 16 to 74 years. Persons living in institutions were excluded.

Not relevant

Not relevant

General notes regarding 2022 survey:

• As in previous year, some respondents did not include activities they carried out via a smartphone under questions B3.
• Question B4a) – because doing an online course will never be interpreted as conducting distant learning, SURS added an additional question on distant learning in national questionnaire. These responses were included in the variable doing an online course.
• Module D – individuals who did not make any e-purchase in the last 3 months, but have carried out advanced financial activities are not counted as e-buyers in the last 3 months due to design of the model questionnaire.
• Additional information mentioned in the methodological manual were added to some questions. Therefore the meaning of the questions (what should or should not be included in the response) should already be defined with the wording of the question. Additional information clarifying the scope should not be mentioned only in the methodological manual.