State Data Agency (Statistics Lithuania)

Living Standard and Employment Statistics Division

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.

The survey covers the entire territory of Lithuania.

2006 AES (1/03/2006 – 30/04/2006);

2011 AES (2/01/2012 – 30/03/ 2012);

2016 AES (1/09/2016 - 30/11/2016);

2022 AES (19/09/2022 – 22/12/2022).

Not applicable.

Number, EUR.

The reference period is the 12 months prior to the interview. 

At European and at national level:
Basic legal act: Regulation (EU) 2019/1700
Implementing act: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/861

Not applicable.

In the process of statistical data collection, processing and analysis and dissemination of statistical information, Statistics Lithuania fully guarantees confidentiality of the data submitted by respondents (households, enterprises, institutions, organisations and other statistical units), as defined in the Confidentiality Policy Guidelines of Statistics Lithuania.

Statistical Disclosure Control Manual, approved by Order No DĮ-107 of 26 April 2022 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

The State Data Governance Information System Data Security Regulations and Rules for the Secure Management of Electronic Information in the State Data Governance Information System, approved by Order No DĮ-202 of 27 August 2021 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

Statistical information is published on the Official Statistics Portal according to the Official Statistics Calendar.

Official Statistics Calendar

Statistical information is prepared and disseminated under the principle of impartiality and objectivity, i.e. in a systematic, reliable and unbiased manner, following professional and ethical standards (the European Statistics Code of Practice), and the policies and practices followed are transparent to users and survey respondents.

All users have equal access to statistical information. All statistical information is published at the same time – at 9 a.m. on the day of publication of statistical information as indicated in the calendar on the Official Statistics Portal. Relevant statistical information is sent automatically to news subscribers.

Statistical information is published following the Official Statistics Dissemination Policy Guidelines and Statistical Information Dissemination and Communication Rules of Statistics Lithuania approved by Order No DĮ-176 of 2 July 2021 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania.

Every 6 years.

A news release “Adult education” was published on 30 May 2023.

None.

Database of Indicators (Population and social statistics -> Adult education and continuing vocational training -> Adult education).

The page of Database of Indicators is dedicated to viewing and analyzing statistical information. More information on the Database of Indicators can be found in the User's Guide of the Database of Indicators.

Not applicable.

Statistics Lithuania may, on the basis of contracts concluded with higher education institutions or research institutes, provide statistical data to researchers of these higher education institutions and research institutes to carry out specific statistical analyses for research purposes. Statistical data are provided in accordance with the provisions specified in the Description of Procedure for Data Depersonalisation and Pseudonymisation. More information is available on the Official Statistics Portal, in the section Data Provision.

Statistics Lithuania aiming to better satisfy the need for statistical information, provides users with opportunities to access open data sets with data on statistical observation units. More information is available on the Official Statistics Portal, in the section Open Data.

Not available.

Not applicable.

AES 2022 data were compiled in accordance with 2022 AES Methodological manual and Adult Interview Survey methodology (only in Lithuanian).

Not applicable.

See item 10.6. above.

Quality of statistical information and its production process is ensured by the provisions of the European Statistics Code of Practice and ESS Quality Assurance Framework.

In 2007, a quality management system, conforming to the requirements of the international quality management system standard ISO 9001, was introduced at Statistics Lithuania. Main trends in activity of Statistics Lithuania aimed at quality management and continuous development in the institution are established in the Quality Policy.

Monitoring of the quality indicators of statistical processes and their results and self-evaluation of statistical survey managers is regularly carried out in order to identify areas which need improvement and to promptly eliminate shortcomings.

More information on assurance of quality of statistical information and its preparation is published in the Quality Management section on the Statistics Lithuania website.

Data quality is in line with the principles of accuracy and reliability, timeliness and punctuality, coherence and compatibility. Outliers are identified and analysed. In case of significant deviations, the data provider is contacted and the reasons are clarified.

In 2022, a review of the questionnaire MVG-01 of the Adult Education Survey was carried out, and the recommendations received were implemented.

The main users of statistical information are State and municipal authorities and agencies, international organisations, the media, research and business communities, students, whose needs are satisfied without a breach of the confidentiality principle.

Survey data on formal and non-formal education are required for assessing the level of lifelong learning and the impact of adult learning on changes in the labour market, shaping social and economic policy, and making social decisions.

Since 2005, user opinion surveys have been conducted on a regular basis. The Official Statistics Portal traffic is monitored, website visitor opinion polls, general opinion poll on the products and services of Statistics Lithuania, target user group opinion polls and other surveys are conducted.

In 2007, the compilation of a user satisfaction index was launched. The said surveys are aimed at the assessment of the overall demand for and necessity of statistical information in general and specific statistical indicators in particular.

More information on user opinion surveys and results thereof are published in the User Surveys section on the Statistics Lithuania website.

All variables requested in the 2022 AES legislation are covered in the final dataset.

Not applicable.

The survey is carried out using a sampling method. The survey uses stratified sample with simple random sample in strata. The territory of the Republic of Lithuania is divided into 25 strata: separate strata cover the population of 5 major cities, population of other towns of each county, and the rural population of each county. The sample size in each of these strata is proportional to the population aged 18–69 in them. If the sampled person is no longer living at the address given at the time of the interview, he/she shall be removed from the sample list and another person living at that address and belonging to the survey population shall be included, whose date of birth at the time of the interview is the closest to that of the sampled person.

Not all individuals selected in the sample respond. In order to avoid or reduce bias, sampling design weights are calibrated, i.e. adjusted for non-response to external data sources (e.g. population totals by age group, sex, strata).

For the overall data assessment different measurements are used, such as Coefficient of variation, Standard error, as well as 95% confidence interval.

The estimates of the parameters were calculated using R software for statistics, which presents the variances of the calibrated estimates.

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

Errors not related to the sample do not have a significant effect on the results.

The sampling frame was made up using the Population Register. The register is updated regularly.

The whole country is covered by the survey. AES covers individuals aged 18-69, living in private households. Individuals living in institutional households (nursing homes, foster homes, prisons, monasteries) were excluded from the target population.

The calibration of sampling weights using the known values of age, sex and urban/rural place of residence enables adjustment for the under coverage of the sampling frame.

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

Not applicable.

To prevent the possible measurement errors the questionnaire was tested by the testing group in the statistical office.

Interviewers’ training was carried out by the specialists from the Living Standard and Employment Statistics and Survey Organisation divisions of Statistics Lithuania at the beginning of September 2022.

Instructions for filling in the questionnaires of the survey and explanations of variables that would help in the interviewing process were prepared. The possible issues were analysed and discussed during the training. Methodical explanations were combined with practical tests. Fieldwork began after interviewers’ training.

The interviewers were consulted and checked by supervisors, specialists from the Living Standard and Employment Statistics and Survey Organisation divisions of State Data Agency (Statistics Lithuania) during the fieldwork.

Estimates are calculated by recalculating weights of the sample plan taking into account respondents' non-response, i.e. the sample design weights are calibrated.

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

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

Data were entered and coded by interviewers. Orbeon software was used for data entry.

An electronic survey questionnaire that was also used for data input collected by computer assisted personal interviewing, computer assisted telephone interviewing was programmed. Software for interviewing was programmed so that data could be checked at input, thus data entry or coding errors could be corrected automatically. The computer program included the possible logical checks, also a package of alerts (warning and error) related to ranges of admissible values and logical connections between questions. The process of data cleaning and editing started in parallel to the fieldwork. The specialists of Statistics Lithuania checked part of the interview data. Found errors and discrepancies were analysed and corrected. If necessary, respondents were called to verify the information. After the data entry was finished, the data were checked for consistency by the specialists of Statistics Lithuania. Final data checking and cleaning was conducted in accordance with Eurostat’s data editing rules.

Not applicable.

The reference period for the 2022 AES are the 12 months prior to the interview.

Only final results are published, press release in May 2023 (t+5 months).

Only final results are published, press release in May 2023 (t+5 months).

There was not any delay of delivery of survey results to Eurostat. The full dataset was delivered on time.

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

Not applicable.

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

No additional variables related to COVID-19 were collected.

Not applicable.

The time series of indicators in the age group 25-64 are comparable.

The significant increase in the indicator "Participation rate in informal learning" is likely due to the additional explanation added at the beginning of the informal learning section of the questionnaire.

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

Not applicable.

A preliminary analysis was conducted between AES and LFS data, but additional examinations will be carried out further.

See table 15.3 “Coherence - cross-domain” in annex “LT - 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.

Statistics Lithuania focuses on the reduction of the statistical reporting burden for respondents. The obligations of Statistics Lithuania to implement the Law on Reduction of Administrative Burden of the Republic of Lithuania and to reduce statistical reporting burden for respondents are provided in the Statistical Reporting Burden Reduction Policy.

Further information on burden reduction can be found at https://osp.stat.gov.lt/statistines-atskaitomybes-nastos-mazinimas.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Statistical information is prepared using data from the adult education survey and administrative data.

Administrative data sources: Population Register of State Enterprise Centre of Registers and the State Social Insurance Fund Board under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (SODRA).

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

Every 6 years.

Statistical data are collected either through self-administered online Adult Education Interview survey questionnaire MVG-01 approved by Order No. DĮ-134 of 22 May 2022 of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania or by interviewing respondents face-to-face or by telephone.

The form of the statistical questionnaire was reviewed in 2022.

In order to ensure the quality of statistical data, data editing and validation are carried out. Inaccuracies are assessed, errors, uncorrected during interview/data entry, are corrected.

The validation rules were applied to the standard microdata as defined by “2022 AES validation rules”, provided by Eurostat.

The obtained results are compared with the results of previous years, information from other sources. If the changes or average values are significantly different from the indicators from other sources, the reasons for those differences are analyzed, paying attention to the outliers. 

Data editing, missing values imputation, weight adjustment for non-responses and calibration is carried out. The statistical information preparation process is described in the statistical survey on adult education methodology (only in Lithuanian).

See table 18.5.1 “Imputation - rate” in annex “LT - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

None.