Methodology and Quality Update

Latest Update on Methodology and Quality

23/11/2025

Statistical Presentation

Data description

A statistical product that provides reliable data and indicators on elderly, in accordance with international best practices. The survey aims to meet the needs of policymakers, decision-makers, and researchers by providing accurate information that supports decision-making and contributes to improving policies and services provided to the elderly. The survey also helps bridge the statistical gap related to the elderly population and supports national and international statistical directions through:
•    Publishing reliable data and indicators: Provision of highly reliable demographic and social data and indicators, enabling the study of the social and health status and quality of life of the elderly.
•    Supporting national and international goals: Contribution to achieving local and regional goals and indicators.
•    Empowering policymakers: Provision of vital indicators to policymakers and decision-makers that contribute to developing policies and improving the quality of services provided to the elderly.
•    Enhancing research and studies: Enriching specialized research and studies about the elderly by providing researchers and interested parties with accurate information that contributes to a deeper understanding of the issues and challenges facing this segment.

Classifications

The following classifications are applied in the Elderly Survey:
Saudi classification of specializations and educational levels:
Statistical classification based on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED_11) and (ISCED_13) for education and training, issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It serves as the reference classification for organizing educational programs and qualifications according to their levels and fields of study. It comprehensively covers all educational programs, levels, and methods, spanning from early childhood education to higher education levels.
This classification is used in the Elderly Survey to classify individuals aged 55 years and older according to their specializations and educational levels.
National Code of Countries and Nationalities (3166 ISO – codes Country):
A statistical classification based on the international standard (ISO 3166_Country codes), which is a standard issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO of the UN), and this classification gives numeric and literal codes for the world’s 248 countries, based on the classification of countries.  
This classification is used in the Elderly Survey to classify individuals aged 55 years and older according to their specializations and educational levels.
Metadata is collected through interviews, so that outputs can be produced in accordance with all relevant classifications.
The classifications are available on the GASTAT’s website   www.stats.gov.sa

Statistical concepts and definitions

Terms and concepts for Elderly Statistics:
•    The elderly:
Every individual who has reached the age of 60 years and older, according to the definition of the Law on the Protection of the Elderly issued by the Council of Ministers.
•    Household:
An individual or group of individuals who are or are not bound together by ties of kinship, and who share residence and food in one dwelling during the time of survey.
•    Sleep disorder in the elderly:
A group of conditions that affect the quality, duration, or natural pattern of sleep, leading to a negative impact on the individual's physical and psychological health.
•    Chronic disease:
A disease with which an individual is afflicted for a long period of time and has been diagnosed by a specialist physician, and which may persist throughout their life.
•    Difficulty:
A deficiency or lack in a person's ability to perform any activity within normal limits, such as a deficiency in hearing.
•    Retirement:
It is the stage when an individual formally stops working as a result of reaching a specific age determined by laws, or due to health conditions, or personal desire.
•    Life satisfaction:
The level of feeling of happiness and satisfaction with life among the elderly, including psychological health and social relationships.
•    Social participation:
The degree of integration of the elderly in social and community activities, such as volunteering, attending events, and communicating with family.
•    Quality of life:
The level of general well-being of the elderly, including satisfaction, happiness, housing quality, and the availability of services and facilities.
•    Physical activity:
Any physical effort performed by an individual to move the body and contribute to improving general health, such as walking or light exercise.
•    Social isolation:
A state of weak or severed social relationships or a lack of participation in community activities, which leads to a feeling of loneliness or detachment from others.
•    Digital empowerment:
The ability of the elderly to use modern technologies (such as smartphones and the internet) to access services and information and participate in digital activities.

Data sources

Data for Elderly Statistics are based on two sources:
First source: The main source for the Elderly Statistics data is the 2025 Elderly Survey.
 The main published variables for Elderly Statistics data are:
•    The elderly by sex, nationality, and administrative region.
•    The elderly by specified age group.
•    The elderly by educational status.
•    The elderly by marital status.
•    The elderly by employment status.
•    The elderly by self-assessed health status.
•    Chronic diseases among the elderly.
•     lderly visits to health facilities.
•    Health care cost coverage among the elderly.
•     Difficulties in accessing healthcare providers among the elderly.
•    Levels of feeling anger and stress among the elderly.
•    Reliance on others for performing daily tasks for the elderly.
•     Difficulties and disability among the elderly.
•     Participation in social activities among the elderly.
•    The elderly who bear the responsibility of caring for individuals.
•     Life satisfaction among the elderly.
•    Exercise practice among the elderly.
•     Housing satisfaction among the elderly.
•     Feeling safe while commuting at night among the elderly.
•     Digital empowerment and inclusion among the elderly.
•    Difficulties faced by the elderly in using technology.
•    Suitability of public facilities and services for the elderly.
•     Ease of access to buildings for the elderly.
•     Financial difficulties and challenges among the elderly.
Second source: From the administrative records for elderly statistics:
•    Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development.
The main published variables from the administrative data source are:
•    Total Saudis residing in social care homes.
•    Total Saudis residing in private elderly care centers entrusted with care services.

Designing the data collection tool

An electronic form (CAPI) was designed to ensure ease of use by field researchers, and the data was collected using a questionnaire prepared and designed by specialists at the General Authority for Statistics. during its design, international recommendations, standards, and definitions were taken into account, and it was also presented to relevant entities to gather their views and observations. the questions were formulated in a specific scientific manner to unify the format of question delivery by researchers.
Sections of the questionnaire:
 The questionnaire is divided into four sections, as follows:
•    Demographic data.
•    Health status and difficulties.
•    Social activities and communication.
•    Quality of life and general satisfaction.
Method of calculating the indicators:
 The percentages were calculated as weighted rates by dividing the sum of the weights within the category by the total sum of weights, while the totals were calculated by aggregating the final weights of all individuals within each category as required by each indicator.
Review and correction rules:
Audit and control rules have been established in the form to ensure that the data collected is consistent, accurate, and logical. These rules are designed to establish a logical relationship between answers and different questions and variables to help the researcher detect any errors directly when filling out the data with the household.
To ensure the quality of the elderly statistics survey data, review and correction rules were established, and they are as follows:
•    Automated adjustment rules:
These rules are applied for the automatic calculation of certain fields or automatic adjustment of responses in specific fields to align with some questionnaires, totaling approximately 12 rules.
•    Error rules:
These rules cannot be bypassed during data entry. The field researcher must correct the data by referring back to the respondent to ensure accuracy. There are approximately 105 such rules.
•    Alert rules (warnings):
These rules are designed to verify the correctness of the data entered by the researcher. The field researcher may override them if the data accuracy is confirmed, with a total of approximately 21 rules.

Questionnaire test (cognitive test)

The cognitive testing of the survey questionnaire was conducted, where the interview sample consisted of a random sample of households distributed across the regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, taking into account the variation in educational level, sex, and nationality of the participants.
During the cognitive testing process, the following evaluation pillars were taken into consideration: The overall concept of the question, clarity of question wording, clarity of terms used in the question, appropriateness of the response options, participants’ ability to answer the questions effectively, and the extent to which participants were willing to disclose their answers. This process resulted in a report summarizing the full findings of the cognitive test.

Statistical population

The statistical population for the elderly survey consists of all resident households in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within the thirteen administrative regions. which includes the elderly aged 55 years and older, both Saudis and non-Saudis of both sexes, and the 2022 census data was used as a framework for the target population.

Sample Design

The 2025 elderly survey sample was designed using a two-stage systematic stratified cluster random sampling method, in which, in the first stage, a random sample of primary sampling units (enumeration areas) was selected for each stratum of the adopted sample design strata. In the second stage, a systematic random sample of housing units (households) is selected within each selected initial sampling unit.
Stratification:
To increase the efficiency of the sample and its representation of the target population, the primary sampling units within the sample frame were classified into homogeneous strata to obtain more accurate results compared to a simple random sampling method of the same size; the division was carried out using governorates as actual strata due to the need to produce survey indicators separately for each governorate, as the number of governorates is 150.
Sample size and allocation across strata:
The total sample size was estimated at the kingdom level, and then the sample was distributed to the thirteen administrative regions using proportional to size allocation, while adjusting the sample size for small governorates so that it does not fall below a certain value.
The total sample size amounted to 32,745 households. The sample size was calculated using the following parameters and determinants:
•    The allowable coefficient of variation used in calculating the sample size at the Kingdom level is less than 1.8%. 
•    The design effect used in the sample was 2.
•    The expected response rate is 65%.
•    A confidence level of (1–α) = 0.95, which is used in determining the proportion to be estimated from the survey.
Table1: Distribution of the sample at the level of administrative regions:

Statistical unit (sampling unit)

The statistical unit in the Elderly Statistics is the household.

Data collection

Data collection from the survey:
Elderly survey data is collected through computer-assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI).
The data is stored in GASTAT's databases after undergoing auditing and review processes following approved statistical methods and recognized quality standards. If errors or discrepancies are detected, the data is cross-referenced with the data source for correction or clarification.

Data collection frequency 

The data collection process for Elderly Statistics is carried out every three years. 

Reference area

The 2025 Elderly Survey covers all administrative regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including all affiliated governorates, in accordance with the officially approved administrative division of the Kingdom.

Reference period (time reference)

References period to the variables or dataset as follows:
The reference period for the demographic, social, health, behavioral, and life satisfaction characteristics adopted for the 2025 survey is the date of the household interview. 

Base period

Not applicable.

Measurement unit

The measurement units used in the results vary between individual counts and percentages (%).

Time coverage

The data is available from 2017 to 2025. 

Publication frequency

The results of Elderly Statistics are published every three years in accordance with the approved statistical plan. 

Statistical processing

Error detection

The error detection process was carried out using an integrated methodology that includes several stages to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data:
•    Field verification:
It is carried out during data collection using electronic systems (CAPI) that include real-time validation rules preventing the entry of illogical or missing values.
•    desk review:
After data collection, logical checks are performed to verify the consistency of responses (such as the alignment between health status and the ability to perform activities), as well as reviewing value ranges and missing data.
•    Statistical analysis:
The distribution of the data, means, and deviations is examined to identify illogical values or abnormally concentrated patterns.
•    Verification via sources:
The results are compared with the census and previous surveys to ensure temporal and spatial consistency.

Data integration and matching from multiple sources 

Not applicable, as the product relies on two independent sources (the 2025 elderly survey and administrative records from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development), where each source produces its own set of indicators without any data merging or matching; consequently, the production process does not include any procedures for merging or harmonizing multi-source data.

Imputation and calibration

The sample weights were calculated by determining the design weight, which reflects the probability of selecting the sampling unit in the sample. Accordingly, the weight of the selected unit (individual) in the sample is:

Where     irepresents the probability of selecting the individual from stratum  
Non-response weight adjustment:
Weight adjustment to compensate for non-response or missing data to ensure proper representation of the sample. This adjustment is made after data collection and identifying the response cases, and is calculated using the following formula:

Where     represents the adjusted weight for non-response in stratum (or adjustment category) , where the adjustment or correction factor for each stratum (or adjustment category) is calculated    Ras follows: 

Where R represents the responses and NR represents the non-responses.
Table of survey response outcomes after the data collection process is as follows:

Weight calibration:
The sample weight adjustment process is usually applied to ensure that the collected data align with specific characteristics of the overall population, which requires the availability of calculation inputs in the following formula:

  : Final weight.
x : Total number of individuals in the calibration category by population projection.
   Total adjusted weights for individuals in the calibration category

Seasonal adjustments

Not applicable, only final results will be published. Not applicable, as the survey is conducted every three years and does not produce a short-term time series affected by seasonal factors.

Adjustment of preliminary results 

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Used Resources

Quality dimensions

Suitability

A criterion that indicates how well the product meets users’ needs.

User needs 

Internal users in GASTAT for Elderly Statistics data:
•    Population, gender, and diversity statistics.
Several external users and beneficiaries who greatly rely on the Elderly Statistics data, including:
•    Government entities.
•    Regional and international organizations.
•    Research institutions.
•    Media.
•    Individuals.

The disseminated key variables that are mostly used by external users: 

Completeness 

Data were collected from a representative sample of the elderly population to provide comprehensive indicators covering the elderly and the targeted regions. The data were reviewed to ensure compliance with national requirements and international standards, and the data are complete.

Accuracy and reliability 

A standard that measures how close the calculations or estimates are to the exact or true values that reflect reality.

Overall accuracy 

•    The data collected is improved through the researchers, that have been selected according to a set of practical and objective criteria and a training program related to the field of work.
•    Alert, prevention, and correction rules are applied during the data collection process on the electronic questionnaire for the Elderly Statistics to improve data quality.
•    Data is checked with previous years to identify any significant changes in the data.
•    The internal consistency of the data is checked before it is finalized.
•    The links between variables are checked, and coherence between different data series is confirmed.

Timeliness and punctuality 

A standard that measures the time gap between the availability of information and the occurrence of the event.
However, timeliness reflects the time difference between the date of data publication and the target date when it is actually published.

Timeliness 

GASTAT uses the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) issued by the International Monetary Fund. According to this Standard, all statistics agencies are required to publish data on an annual basis, and with a delay of not more than mid of year (180 days) after the end of the reference period. If the data are from different source, they may be published in a different frequency.

Punctuality 

The publication is done according to the publication dates in the statistical calendar published for the Elderly Statistics on the GASTAT website page.
The data are available at the expected time, as scheduled in the statistical release calendar, If the publication is delayed, reasons shall be provided.

Coherence and comparability

The ability for users to access data, the availability of accurate or complete data, and the availability of a methodology and quality report.

Comparability - Geographical

The data are comparable both nationally and internationally.

Comparability - Over time 

The survey started in 2017 as a survey conducted every three years. The following are the main changes that have occurred in recent years :
•    2017: 
The survey was conducted for the first time.
•    2020:
The survey was not conducted due to the population census..
•    2023-2025:
The new survey date of 2025 has been approved.

Coherence- Cross domain

The data are consistent, as their coherence is verified against all other statistics containing similar indicators. These procedures help ensure integration and harmonization among statistics, enhancing the reliability of the data and the quality of the analyses based on them, while ensuring that the results are free from any unjustified inconsistencies.

Coherence- Sub-annual and annual statistics 

Not applicable, as the Elderly Statistics are published only as an annual publication.

Coherence- National Accounts 

Not applicable, as the Elderly Statistics do not have consistency with the national accounts.

Coherence- Internal 

The Elderly Statistics estimates have full internal coherence for their reference period, as they are all based on the same corpus of microdata, and they are calculated using the same estimation methods.

Accessibility and clarity

The ability for users to access data, the availability of accurate or complete data, and the availability of a methodology and quality report.

Press releases

The announcements for each publication are available on the statistical calendar as mentioned in 10.1. The press releases can be viewed on the website of GASTAT at the link: 
Press release

Publications

GASTAT issues the publications and reports of the Statistics Survey (Annual) on a regular basis within a pre-prepared dissemination plan, and they are published on GASTAT’s website.   GASTAT is keen to publish its publications in a way that serves all users of different types, including publications in different formats that contain (publication tables, data graphs, indicators, metadata, methodology, and questionnaires) in both English and Arabic.
The results of the Elderly Statistics are available at:
The Elderly Statistics

Online database

The data is published on the statistical database:
Statistical database

Microdata accessibility

Accurate data is unit-level disaggregated data obtained from multiple sources such as sample statistical surveys, general population and housing censuses, and administrative systems, providing detailed information about the characteristics of individuals, families, business entities, and geographical areas, supporting the construction and development of statistical indicators and scientific research.
Different types of microdata files to meet diverse information needs:
•    Public use: 
It consists of sets of records containing information on individuals, households, or business entities anonymized in such a way that the respondent cannot be identified either directlysuch as: (name, address, contact number, identity number etc.) or indirectly (by combining different - especially rare - characteristics of respondents) such as: (age, occupation, education etc.).
•    Scientific use:
These files were established based on a specific methodology according to the data requester's requirements to extract the datasets with specific characteristics used for strategic studies, decision-making, and scientific research by individuals, households, and enterprises, while ensuring they contain no direct identifiers and are subject to confidentiality protection controls.
Qualified users who meet the standards and procedures of confidentiality protection can access the files of scientific use of accurate data through the platform "ITAHA" of the General Authority for Statistics, while the most sensitive data for use is shared by visiting the accurate data laboratory within a secure environment managed by the Authority.

References and standards

•    Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM)
Generic Statistical Business Process Model
•    World Health Organization standards (WHO):
World Health Organization
•    Fundamental principles of official statistics – UN:
Fundamental Principles

Quality assurance

GASTAT declares that it considers the following principles: Impartiality, ensuring that the statistical product is user-oriented, maintaining the quality of processes and outputs, enhancing the effectiveness of statistical operations, and reducing the burden on respondents. 
Data is validated through procedures and quality controls that are applied during the process at various stages, such as: (data entry, data collection, and other final controls).

Quality assessment

GASTAT performs all statistical activities according to a national model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final phase of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each phase or sub-process. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report, which outlines all the quality issues related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality - Policy

According to Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07/12/1379, data must always be kept confidential and must be used by GASTAT for statistical purposes only.
Therefore, the data is protected in the data servers of GASTAT.

Confidentiality - Data Treatment

Data are presented in appropriate tables in order to summarize, understand, as well as extract their results. Moreover, to compare them with other data and to obtain statistical significance about the selected study population. However, referring to such data indicated in tables is much easier than going back to check the original questionnaire that may include some data like names and addresses of individuals, and names of data providers, which violates the data confidentiality of statistical data.
“Anonymity of data” is one of the most important procedures. To keep data confidential,
GASTAT removed information on individual persons, households, or business entities in such a way that the respondent cannot be identified either directly, such as: (Names, addresses, contact numbers, or identification numbers, etc.) or indirectly by combining different, especially rare characteristics of respondents, such as: (age, occupation, education, etc.).

Dissemination policy

Statistical calendar

The Elderly Statistics is added to the statistical calendar.
Statistical Calendar

User access

One of GASTAT’s objectives is to meet its clients' needs, so it immediately provides them with the publication's results once the Elderly Statistics Publication is published.
It also receives questions and enquiries from clients about the publication and its results through various communication channels, such as:
•    GASTAT official website:  www.stats.gov.sa
•    GASTAT official email address:   info@stats.gov.sa
•    Official visits to GASTAT’s official head office in Riyadh or one of its branches in Saudi Arabia.
•    Official letters.
•    Statistical telephone: (199009).

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