Statistik Austria (Statistics Austria)

Direktion Bevölkerung (Directorate Social Statistics)

Guglgasse 13

1110 Wien

Austria

The Urban Audit (UA) data collection for Austria provides - mainly socio-demographic - statistical data for several variables on different aspects for an assessment of the quality of life in cities and their surroundings. The data collection is carried out for Austria's six most populous cities (Wien, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt).

For more detailed information on the data please also consider the reference metadata for the Urban Audit project in general (UA Eurostat metadata) as well as the following sections for Austria, especially "3.3. Coverage - sector", "3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions" and "3.7. Reference area".

Specific classification and coding systems have been developed for the spatial units and for the variables and indicators of the Urban Audit project.

For the description of these classification and coding systems for UA spatial units and UA variables see the Methodological Manual on City Statistics as well as UA Eurostat metadata.

The variables for which data are compiled and provided for Austria cover several aspects of quality of life in the following domains: demography and nationality, household structure, housing, health, labour market, economic activity, poverty, education and training, travel patterns and tourism. 

Concerning definitions of variables, in most cases the Methodological Manual on City Statistics was taken into account and followed. In case of a deviating definition in Austria (e.g. population data referring to the registered place of residence, see "3.6. Statistical population") or other important additional information, this was indicated in the respective data file as a footnote.

Additionally it has to be stated that for population data on “Nationality” (domain DE, chapter 1.2), distinguished by citizenship and country of birth respectively, the European Union is constituted as the “EU28” (28 member states, including Croatia), both for the reference years 2013 and 2014. This is in line with an information/answer received from Eurostat in July 2015.

Within the Urban Audit project, data is collected for cities (with at least 50 000 inhabitants) and for further spatial units within and around these cities, whereas application of several spatial levels differs between variables (also see "3.7. Reference area").

The statistical unit of measurement varies from variable to variable, depending on the content (e.g. absolute number of persons; absolute number of dwellings; percentage of total population; amount of money in Euro; ...). For most variables the unit of measurement is population (most frequently: absolute number of persons) (also see "3.6. Statistical population"). The respective units of measurement are indicated in the Excel list of variables which Austria received from Eurostat - Methodological Manual on City Statistics. (also see "4. Unit of measure")

For most variables the statistical unit of measurement is population (most frequently: absolute number of persons). For Austria the basis is the population referring to the registered place of residence (and thus not the population at its usual residence as indicated in the Methodological Manual on City Statistics).

As stated before, within the Urban Audit project, data is collected for cities (with at least 50 000 inhabitants) and for further spatial units within and around these cities.

Concerning the spatial system of Urban Audit in general, apart from the national level (N) the following spatial units (territorial levels) are existing:

• “Larger Urban Zone” (L; LUZ)
• "Greater city" (former "Kernel") (K)
• "City" (C)
• "Sub-city districts", levels 1 and 2 (D; S; SCD)

For detailed information on the definitions of these spatial levels please primarily consider the Methodological Manual on City Statistics, for some short information also see UA Eurostat metadata. By the way, the application of the spatial levels differs between variables, as specified in the Excel list of variables which Austria received from Eurostat (Methodological Manual on City Statistics).

In the case of Austria, thereof - in addition to the national level (N) - the following spatial units (territorial levels) are relevant:

• “Larger Urban Zone” (L; LUZ)
• "City" (C)
• "Sub-city districts", levels 1 and 2 (D or S; SCD)

Indeed, partly deviating definitons in Austria have to be pointed out: Thus Austria still uses administrative boundaries to define “Cities” and “Larger Urban Zones”. A “City” is defined as a municipality, a “Larger Urban Zone” (LUZ) is composed of one or more NUTS-3-regions. This is in contrast to the corresponding specifications in the Methodological Manual on City Statistics, but due to the aim of having comparable data in terms of time series (also see the subsections of "16. Comparability").

In Austria, the UA data collection is carried out for the six most populous cities (Wien, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt).

Partly deviating delivery for spatial levels in Austria: In case of the four variables on poverty, due to lacking representativeness of the sample (EU-SILC) data cannot be provided on the city level (C) - with the exception of Austria's most populous city Vienna. On the other hand in case of some other variables data for Austria can be provided and delivered for more spatial levels than required by Eurostat.

In principle, this UA data collection refers to the calendar years 2013 and 2014, meaning that also for Austria data of this collection round are available for these two reference years (also see "5. Reference period").

Not applicable.

The statistical unit of measurement varies from variable to variable, depending on the content (e.g. absolute number of persons; absolute number of dwellings; percentage of total population; amount of money in Euro; ...). For most variables the unit of measurement is population (most frequently: absolute number of persons) (also see "3.6. Statistical population"). The respective units of measurement are indicated in the Excel list of variables which Austria received from Eurostat - Methodological Manual on City Statistics. (also see "3.5. Statistical unit")

In principle, this UA data collection refers to the calendar years 2013 and 2014, meaning that also for Austria data of this collection round are available for these two reference years.

If the reference period or reference date of a variable was not mentioned explicitly in the Methodological Manual on City Statistics, the reference date/period used for Austria was indicated in the respective data file as a footnote; furthermore you can also take a look at section "18.1. Source data". In case of EU-SILC data (four variables on poverty), to reach representativeness three-year averages had to be applied.

All data supply for the Urban Audit project is based on a voluntary agreement (Grant agreement), as there is no Community legislation (European Union law) on this topic yet (see UA Eurostat metadata).

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Data will be released on the website of Statistics Austria by October 2016 at the latest (also see "10.3. Dissemination format - online database").

For information on this topic see UA Eurostat metadata.

For information on this topic see UA Eurostat metadata.

For information on this topic see UA Eurostat metadata.

No specific news release planned by Statistics Austria.

For information on this topic also see UA Eurostat metadata.

For Eurostat's dissemination strategy in terms of publications see UA Eurostat metadata.

For Austria additionally - although not obligatory according to the Grant agreement - it is planned to compose and publish an article in Statistics Austria's journal "Statistische Nachrichten". Further information on this journal can be found here: http://www.statistik.at/web_en/publications_services/statistische_nachrichten/index.html

For Eurostat's dissemination strategy in terms of an online database see UA Eurostat metadata.

For Austria additionally - in line with the Grant agreement - specific pages (web tables) will be created and published on the website of Statistics Austria (http://www.statistik.at/web_en/statistics/index.html).

Not applicable.

Not available.

Concerning definitions of variables, in most cases the Methodological Manual on City Statistics was taken into account and followed. In case of a deviating definition in Austria or other important additional information, this was indicated in the respective data file as a footnote. Concerning deviating definitons of variables and spatial units (territorial levels) respectively please also see sections "3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions" and "3.7. Reference area".

Not available.

Austria randomly implemented the data quality assurance checks listed in the Methodological Manual on City Statistics.

Data originating from the NSI (Statistics Austria) undergo the detailed quality management procedures of the official statistics anyway.

The Urban Audit project is set in the context of the Regional Policy of the European Union. The main priority of this policy is to improve social and economic cohesion in the European Union by seeking to reduce disparities between European regions. Cities and the quality of life in cities and their surroundings play a specific and prominent part in this respect.

The direct purpose of the Urban Audit project at the European level is to collect comparable statistical data on a large number of variables for a range of topics covering several aspects of quality of life mentioned in section "3.3. Coverage - sector" at the spatial levels explained in section "3.7. Reference area".

Not available.

Data availability for Austria for the reference years 2013 and 2014:

71 of the 73 compulsory variables can be delivered for Austria. Not available are only variables SA1050V ("Average price for buying a house") and SA1051V ("Average price for buying an apartment") in domain SA, chapter 2.1 "Housing".

In addition Austria's data compilation contains a further 19 optional variables.

Concerning later deliveries in case of some variables please take a look at section "14.2. Punctuality". Concerning “unreliable” data please see section “13.1. Accuracy – overall”.

Data quality is generally very good, as it is mostly derived from register-based statistics.

Regarding the variables on “Household Structure” (domain DE, chapter 1.3), “Labour Market” and “Economic Activity” (domain EC, chapters 3.1 and 3.2), the Labour Force Survey (LFS) cannot be used as a data source because of lacking representativeness for small area units as needed in the context of Urban Audit. Instead of that, in Austria the “Register-based Labour Market Statistics” and the “Census on Local Units of Employment” can be used as a data source (also see “14.2. Punctuality”).

In a few cases, where accuracy has been in doubt, this has been marked as “unreliable” (flag u).

This especially regards the data on waste (domain EN, chapter 6.4, variable on municipal waste), due to uncertainty about comparability of the definition criteria of the separate waste categories between the different cities.

Relating to EU-SILC data (domain EC, chapter 3.3, four variables on poverty), in the case of variable EC3066V “Severely materially deprived persons” data partly had to be flagged as “unreliable”, due to too small number of cases.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Timeliness depends on the domain and individual variable.

For further information on this topic also see "5. Reference Period" and "18.1. Source data".

Concerning the data originating from Austria's "Register-based Labour Market Statistics" (domain DE, chapter 1.3 "Household Structure" and domain EC, chapter 3.1 "Labour Market") and Austria’s "Census on Local Units of Employment" (domain EC, chapter 3.2 "Economic Activity") data availability and delivery are only possible at a later date than desired by Eurostat.

Concerning the reference year 2014 this is also true for the data originating from EU-SILC (domain EC, chapter 3.3 "Income Disparities and Poverty"), in this case due to the fact that three-year averages had to be applied (also see "5. Reference Period").

For general information on this topic also see UA Eurostat metadata.

Deviating definitons for “Cities” and “Larger Urban Zones” (see "3.7. Reference area") to some extent limit the comparability of these units with data for other countries.

For general information on this topic also see UA Eurostat metadata.

Comparability of spatial units over time is given as Austria has stuck to administrative boundaries for defining “Cities” and “Larger Urban Zones" (see "3.7. Reference area") and there have been no changes in administrative boundaries of the cities concerned since the last UA data collection round.

Breaks in time series as regards content of definitions of variables (also compared to prior UA data collection rounds) were flagged accordingly in the respective data file (flag b).

Data collected at sub-national levels are coherent with the data collected at national level.

Internal coherence (e.g. between spatial levels or within disaggregated variables like total, male, female population) is ensured (also see "11.1. Quality assurance").

Data collection is primarily based on administrative data so the main working burden is on the Austrian NSI (Statistics Austria).

No preliminary data is published.

As the Urban Audit data are very extensive, it cannot be excluded that errors exist in the data. Detected errors will be corrected by Eurostat after consultation with the National Urban Audit Coordinator.

Source data are collected from different sources (primarily national administrative and statistical registers). For Austria the main data sources are the following:

• Statistics Austria, Buildings and Dwellings Register Austria 1.1.2013, 1.1.2014
• Statistics Austria, Population Statistics 1.1.2013, 1.1.2014
• Statistics Austria, Vital Statistics 2013, 2014
• Statistics Austria, Register-based Labour Market Statistics 31.10.2013, 31.10.2014
• Statistics Austria, Census on Local Units of Employment 31.10.2013, 31.10.2014
• Statistics Austria, EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) 2012-2014, 2013-2015
• Statistics Austria, Day Care Centre Statistics 1.9.2013, 1.9.2014
• Statistics Austria, Educational Pathways Statistics 2012/2013, 2013/2014
• local administrative authorities of the cities (data on municipal waste)
• Statistics Austria, CBI (Consumer Price Index) Price Collection 2013, 2014
• Statistics Austria, Road Accident Statistics 2013, 2014
• Statistics Austria, Tourism Statistics 2013, 2014

Please also consider the corresponding flags regarding Data source and Statistical basis (therefore also see the Methodological Manual on City Statistics) set in the data files.

For general information on this topic also see UA Eurostat metadata.

Urban Audit is a multiannual data collection. The reference years of the current data collection are 2013 and 2014 (see "5. Reference Period").

For general information on past UA data collection rounds please consider the Methodological Manual on City Statistics and UA Eurostat metadata.

Data for UA variables are collected and compiled by the National Urban Audit Coordinators (NUACs), on behalf of Eurostat. Austria's NUAC is a staff member of the NSI, which is Statistics Austria (Directorate Social Statistics; Department of Demography, Health, Labour Market). The degree of progress in this regard is also documented in the Interim technical report as well as in the Final technical report for Austria. (also see "18.5. Data compilation")

For general information on this topic also see UA Eurostat metadata.

For information on this topic please consider the sections "11.1. Quality assurance" and "11.2. Quality management - assessment" as well as UA Eurostat metadata and the Methodological Manual on City Statistics, respectively.

Data for UA variables are collected and compiled by Austria's NUAC, a staff member of Statistics Austria. The degree of progress in this regard is also documented in the Interim technical report as well as in the Final technical report for Austria. (also see "18.3. Data collection")

Based on this, UA indicators are calculated by Eurostat (also see UA Eurostat metadata).

Not applicable.

Some essential information/documents/lists for compiling data (e.g. a detailed and up-to-date list of the requested variables) were only received upon request. In addition, the information provided on which data would be actually requested and whether data provision would be compulsory or optional was contradictory in some cases. Thus it would be quite useful for future data collections to have the relevant information at hand at the beginning of the project period.