Hungarian Central Statistical Office

Quality of Life Statistics Department/ Education, Culture and Time Use Statistics Section

Methodology Department

Keleti Károly Str. 5–7

H-1024 Budapest

Hungary

The Adult Education Survey (AES) covers adults’ participation in education and training (formal - FED, non-formal - NFE and informal learning - INF). The 2022 AES focuses on people aged 18-69. The reference period for the participation in education and training is the twelve months prior to the interview.

Information available from the AES is grouped around the following topics:

• Participation in formal education, non-formal education and training and informal learning
• Volume of instruction hours
• Characteristics of the learning activities
• Reasons for participating
• Obstacles to participation
• Access to information on learning possibilities and guidance
• Employer financing and costs of learning
• Self-reported language skills

For further information see the 2022 AES legislation (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/legislation) and the 2022 AES implementation manual (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/methodology).

- Classification of Learning Activities (CLA, 2016 edition)
- International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011)
- Classification of Occupations 2008 (ISCO 08)
- Classification of economic activities Rev. 2 (NACE Rev. 2)

AES covers all economic sectors.

Definitions as well as the list of variables covered are available in the 2022 AES implementation manual (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/methodology).

Individuals, non-formal learning activities.

Individuals aged 18-69 living in private households. No deviation. The total number of persons in the target population: 6 510 259.

The whole territory of Hungary.

1/07/2006-30/09/2006 (ad-hoc module of LFS)

2/01/2012-31/03/2012

1/01/2017-10/04/2017

19/01/2023-31/03/2023

Not applicable.

Number, EUR, instruction hours

2022 AES fieldwork period: 19/01/2023-31/03/2023

At European level:

Basic legal act: Regulation (EU) 2019/1700

Implementing act: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/861

At national level:

Act CLV of 2016 on Official Statistics

Government Decree 184/2017 (VII.15.) on implementing Act CLV on Official Statistics

Government Decree 388/2017 (XII.15.) on the Mandatory Reporting of the National Statistical Data Collection Program

Not applicable.

Hungarian Act on statistics (CLV/2016) describes the confidentiality requirements for this survey.

In the process of statistical data collection, processing and analysis and dissemination of statistical information, Hungarian Central Statistical Office fully guarantees the confidentiality of the data submitted by respondents (households, enterprises, institutions, organisations and other statistical units), as defined in the Confidentiality policy of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. See https://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/eng/avpol_web_eng.pdf.

National legislation:

Government Decree 288/2009 (15 December)

Act CLV of 2016 on Official Statistics https://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/eng/act_no_clv_of_2016_on_official_statistics.pdf

Government Decree 184/2017 (VII. 5.) on implementing Act CLV of 2016 on Official Statistics

HCSO ensures confidentiality for all the data reported by data providers and the exclusive use of the data for statistical purposes. We disseminate only aggregated data in full compliance with the rules of confidentiality.

For anonymised micro data, top and bottom coding, removing and global recording are mainly used. Researchers have access to de-identified data sets and to anonymised micro data for scientific purposes with appropriate legal and methodological guaranties in place. As for the employees, they can work with datasets in their competence with registered and controlled access rights. For details see the information on confidentiality for data providers on the website of HCSO.

The exact AES 2022 dissemination products were not pre-planned, therefore these are not listed in the HCSO's release calendar.

https://www.ksh.hu/katalogus/#/en

The data is disseminated to all users through the Dissemination database and Summary Tables on the website of the HCSO. The database and the summary tables are available in Hungarian and English. Users are informed about the date of release in the public release calendar.

Every 6 years.

There was no press release.

Permanent publication:

Summary Table (in English) - https://www.ksh.hu/stadat_files/okt/en/okt0047.html

Temporary publication:

A diagram on adult education participation was published in HCSO Monitor for 4 weeks in November 2023 - https://www.ksh.hu/hcso-monitor/

Not yet.

Not applicable.

Not yet.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing lifelong learning statistics: the description is available via the website of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office for concepts and definitions; classifications, data production methods, data quality, data sources:

https://www.ksh.hu/docs/eng/modsz/okt_meth.html

https://www.ksh.hu/apps/meta.objektum?p_lang=EN&p_menu_id=110&p_ot_id=100&p_obj_id=ACCA

Not applicable.

User-oriented quality reports on statistical domains are prepared in the framework of methodological documentation and are published as meta-information on the HCSO website: http://www.ksh.hu/apps/meta.main?p_lang=EN

An internal HCSO regulation is in place regarding the preparation of producer-oriented quality reports for each statistical domain on a yearly basis.

The HCSO Quality Policy lays out the principles and commitments related to the quality of statistics. The document is consistent with the goals set out in the Mission and Vision statements and with the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and is publicly available on the HCSO website.

The European Statistics Code of Practice is available on the website of the HCSO. Also, HCSO together with the member-organisations of the Hungarian Official Statistical Service created a National Statistics Code of Practice based on the European Statistics Code of Practice. (Currently the National Statistics Code of Practice is available only in Hungarian on the HCSO website.)

HCSO Quality Policy: http://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/eng/minosegi_iranyelvek_eng.pdf

National Statistics Code of Practice: https://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/hun/gyakorlati_kodex.pdf

European Statistics Code of Practice: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/4031688/8971242/KS-02-18-142-EN-N.pdf/e7f85f07-91db-4312-8118-f729c75878c7

AES related systematic activities: daily and weekly monitoring of fieldwork progress, interviewer control, data editing and validation.

The HCSO has developed quality guidelines to ensure the quality of the statistical processes. The document has been in place since 2007 (1st revision in 2009, 2nd revision in 2014 and 3rd revision is currently ongoing). The latest version (2014) is available on the HCSO website. As HCSO has been carrying out its core activity as a member of the European Statistical System (ESS) since 2004, organisational improvement in quality matters is also based on EU pillars. It relies on the quality guidelines of international statistical institutes with a proven track record and excellent results of quality management (e.g. Statistics Canada, Statistics Finland, the US Federal Statistical Agencies, UK Office for National Statistics and the Italian National Institute of Statistics) and on the Code of Practice adopted in 2005 and revised in 2011 by the EU Statistical Programme Committee.

For more information see HCSO's website: https://www.ksh.hu/docs/bemutatkozas/eng/minosegi_iranyelvek_eng.pdf

Hungarian AES 2022 was the third stand-alone survey on participation of adults in education and training.

The main strengths of the survey are:

• production of comparative indicators at EU level which is not available from any other sources
• coherence of results with external data sources
• the testing results of the previous AES were used to design the new questionnaire

The survey is organized on the basis of the methodology elaborated by Eurostat, so the international data provision obligation as described in the AES legislation can be fulfilled completely. This survey supports the preparation of educational policy decisions. The most important users are government organizations (ministries), journalists, university students writing their thesis.

Not available. 

All variables required by the legislation are covered.

Not applicable.

The sample design and weighting scheme perform well in general, the net effective sample size is larger by far than required. Non-response rate may indicate some risk of bias which was intended to get reduced by weight adjustment.

For most of the main indicators the design effect is below 1 or close to it, in this sense the estimators are quite effective. In variance estimation the sample design features, the effects of non-response (and the way of adjustment) as well as calibration was taken into account.

Sampling

AES sample is stratified two-stage sample of individuals selected from the population register.

The 160 largest towns are certainty PSUs. The smaller PSUs were stratified by NUTS 2 region, size, average income per capita (TAX data), Roma population (census data) and population with tertiary level educational attainment (census data and only for implicit stratification). Overall 448 localities were selected.

Within selected localities individuals were selected with stratified systematic random selection method. The two strata were defined by age (18-24 and 25-69), within strata individuals in the frame were sorted by date of birth. Different sampling rates were applied: 18-24 population was selected with higher rate. The overall gross sample size is 12349 - 4077 for population 18-24 and 8272 for population 25-69.

Weighting

Design weights were given by sample design.

Weight adjustment for non-response: logistic regression was applied with personal, dwelling unit and area level covariates.

Calibration (iterative raking) control totals for the subsample of 18-24 by NUTS 2 region: population by age and gender; population by degree of urbanization; population in households with 1-2 members. Final weights are bounded with interval [120,750].

Calibration (iterative raking) control totals for the subsample of 25-69 by NUTS 2 region: population by 5 year age groups and gender; population by degree of urbanization; population in households with 1-2 members. Final weights are bounded with interval [480,3000].

Jackknife method was applied taking stratification, clustered nature of sample, systematic selection of individuals, weighting and calibration effects into account. SAS program was used.

Reference: Wolter, Kirk M.: Introduction to Variance Estimation, Springer, 2007

See table 13.2.1 “Sampling errors - indicators for 2022 AES key statistics” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

No additional information. See items 13.3.1 - 13.3.5.

The frame is the population register (individuals with registered address) which is continuously updated. For the selection of AES sample the frame of October in 2022 was used. Over-coverage is ~4.8% (moved abroad, institution, dead), the estimated under-coverage is ~0.6% (individuals with no registered address).

See table 13.3.1.1 “Over-coverage - rate” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Measures taken to prevent measurement errors:

• we used CAPI and CATI mode, the entire programmed questionnaire was tested
• validation of answers with a possibility to correct or specify given answers during the interview
• every interviewer got guidelines for the questionnaire
• control of interviewers due to quality assurance

The overall weighted unit non-response rate is 0.41. Non-respondents can be characterised by area and individual level data available from sampling frame. The remarkable characteristics are below.

Capital Budapest (region HU11) is subject to non-response the most (57%). The other central region (HU12) is also above the average by far with response rate 52%. Other regions are below the average, varying in the range 29-39%. Besides, it can be stated that the more developed or more urbanized the area is, the higher the response rate is. As for individual level, males (44%) and the younger (aged 25-34 with 45%) are harder to reach.

Non-response rate may indicate some risk of bias which was intended to get reduced by weight adjustment involving variables related to non-response mentioned above (see 13.2.).

See table 13.3.3.1 “Unit non-response - rate” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

See table 13.3.3.2 “Item non-response rate” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Data entry control via CAPI/CATI.

No model was used to handle errors or for estimation.

No deviation.

Circa 6 months after the end of the fieldwork period.

Not yet.

The fieldwork ended as expected. Data transmission to EUROSTAT proceeded as expected.

See table 14.2 “Project phases - dates” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

See table 15.1 “Deviations from 2022 AES concepts and definitions” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

National concepts and definitions are in line with the legislation and the implementation manual, so the geographical comparability is complete.

Some additional variables/information related to COVID-19 were collected, see table 15.1 “Deviations from 2022 AES concepts and definitions” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Change in sampling frame.

In 2016 the sample was selected from the register of dwellings and each household member was observed.

In 2023, due to precision requirement for the unplanned domain (individuals aged 18-24), the sample was selected from population register.

See table 15.2 “Comparability - over time” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

See table 15.3 “Coherence - cross-domain” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

AES results for a given data collection round are based on the same microdata and results are calculated using the same estimation methods, therefore the data are internally coherent.

HCSO office staff: 2 statisticians, 3 IT experts.

231 interviewers for 12330 interviews (6734 completed interviews).

No detailed data are available about the cost.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

The AES 2022 is based on a sample survey at the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. The sample is selected by stratified random sampling.

See table 18.1 “Source data” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Every 6 years.

The method used for data gathering was CAPI and CATI. The software used for the survey was developed by HCSO.

The validation process is based on using CAPI/CATI method during the fieldwork (the questionnaire contained rules, back-checks and warnings).

For information on sampling and weighting, see 13.2.

No imputation, see table 18.5.1 “Imputation - rate” in annex “HU - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

None.