Methodology and Quality Update

Latest Update on Methodology and Quality   

2025/02/12

Statistical Presentation

Data description

The publication of Skills and Learning Statistics presents data on the participation of the population aged 15 and over in education and training in Saudi Arabia.
 The data on key characteristics were collected as follows:
•    Participation in education and training.
•    Academic achievement.
•    Literacy.
•    Average years of study 
Data is also used to estimates:
•    Indicators of participation in education and training for the population aged 15 and over.
•    Indicators of academic achievement for the population aged 25 and over.
•    Indicators of literacy and language proficiency for the population aged 15 and over

Classification system

The following classifications are applied in the publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over.
The National Classification for Economic Activities (ISIC4):
It is a statistical classification based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC4) used to describe the productive activities of an establishment. 
Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations(ISCO_08):
A statistical classification based on the International Classification  (ISCO_08) that provides a system for the classification and compilation of professional information obtained through censuses, statistical surveys, and administrative records.
This classification is used in the publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over to classify employees based on their occupations.
Saudi Classification of Specializations and Educational Levels:
A 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 education and training statistics publication to classify individuals from 8-9 years and according to their majors and education 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.  
The classification is used in the publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over to classify individuals as Saudi or non-Saudi.
Metadata are collected through interviews, so that outputs can be produces in accordance with all relevant classifications.
The classifications are available on the GASTAT’s website: www.stats.gov.sa

Sector coverage

Not applicable.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Terms and concepts for the publication of education and training statistics for the population aged 15 and over:
•    Education:
It refers to formal education and training, known as institutionalized and structured education provided by public institutions and recognized private entities. These collectively constitute the formal education system of the state, and the educational programs within this category are recognized as such by the relevant national education authorities or their equivalents.  An example of this is education provided by school systems, colleges, universities, and other official educational institutions that typically offer systematic and continuous education on a full-time basis.
•    Training:
It refers to non-formal education and training, which is intentional and planned by the entity providing education. It serves as an addition or complementary alternative to formal education within the lifelong learning process. It aims to ensure the right to education for everyone, targeting individuals of all ages. It does not necessarily follow a continuous educational structure and can be short-term, low-density, often taking the form of short courses, workshops, or study circles. It generally leads to qualifications not recognized as formal qualifications by the relevant national education authorities. It covers programs that contribute to providing education outside the school environment, life skills programs, work skills, and programs for social or cultural development.
•    Academic achievement:
The highest educational level successfully completed by an individual, typically measured in relation to the highest educational level successfully achieved and usually certified by a recognized qualification.

Statistical unit

The statistical unit in education and training statistics publication is the individual.

Statistical population

The statistical population for the education and training statistical publication consists of individuals aged 15 and over who reside regularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Reference area

 The publication of skills and learning statistics covers educational and training activities targeted in 13 administrative regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Time coverage

Data is available for 2024.

Base period

Not applicable.

Unit of measure

All results are reported as percentage (e.g.: Academic achievement (except for average years of study, which is calculated in years).

Reference period

References period to the variables or dataset as following:
•    Data on the individual and their demographic characteristics are based on the date of phone contact or visit.
•    Data on training activities and self-learning undertaken in the past 12 months are based on phone contact or visit.
•    The data collection period is from 08/10/2024 to 23/11/2024.

Confidentiality 

Confidentiality - policy

According to the Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07-12-1397, data must always be kept confidential and must be used by GASTAT only for statistical purposes.
Therefore, the data are protected in the data servers of the Authority.

Confidentiality - data treatment

Data are displayed in appropriate tables to facilitate its summarization, comprehension, results extraction, comparison with other data and coming up with statistical connotations for the study community. It is also easier to check tables without the need to see the original questionnaire, which usually include data like names and addresses of individuals, names of data providers, which violates the confidentiality of statistical data.
“Anonymity of data” is one of the most important procedures. To keep data confidential, GASTAT removed personal information of individuals, households, or business entities in a way that does not allow the identification of the respondent either directly (by name, address, contact number, identity number etc.) or indirectly (by combining different - especially rare - characteristics of respondents: age, occupation, education etc.)

Release policy

Release calendar

The publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over has been included in the statistical calendar.

Release calendar access

Available on the: https://www.stats.gov.sa/statistical-calendar-releases

User access

One of GASTAT’s objectives is to better meet its clients' needs, so it immediately provides them with the publication's results once the publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over is published.
It also receives questions and inquiries of the clients about the Publication and its results through various communication channels, such as:
•    GASTAT official website:  www.stats.gov.sa
•    GASTAT official e-mail address:  info@stats.gov.sa
•    Client support e-mail:  iinfo@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).

Frequency of dissemination

Annual

Accessibility and clarity

News release

The announcements of each publication are available on release calendar as mentioned in 7.2. Release calendar access. The news release can be viewed on the website of GASTAT through the following link:
https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/news

Publications

GASTAT issues publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over and reports regularly within a pre-prepared dissemination plan and is 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 publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over are available at:
https://www.stats.gov.sa/statistics

On-line database

The data is published on the statistical database
GASTAT (stats.gov.sa)

Micro-data access 

Microdata are unit-level data obtained from sample surveys, censuses, and administrative systems. They provide information about characteristics of individual people or entities such as households, business enterprises, facilities, farms, or even geographical areas such as villages or towns. 
The different types of microdata files to meet different information needs:
•    Public use:
It consists of sets of records containing information on individual persons, households, or business entities anonymized in such a way that the respondent cannot be identified either directly (by name, address, contact number, identity number etc.) or indirectly (by combining different - especially rare - characteristics of respondents: age, occupation, education etc.).
•    Scientific use:
These files established based on specific methodology asked by data requester to extract the datasets with specific characteristics used for strategic studies and decision making as well scientific research purposes on individuals, households and enterprises with no direct identifiers, which have been subject to control methods to protect confidentiality.
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.

Other

Not available.

Documentation on methodology

Framework of the publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over:
•    The concepts, definitions, issues, and classifications are based on international standards derived from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 
•    The standards applied in the survey, based on the standards of both the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

• Methodology of the publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over 1

Methodology of the publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over 2

Quality documentation

Quality documentation covers documentation on methods and standards for assessing, measuring, and monitoring the quality of statistical process and output. It is based on standard quality criteria such as relevance, accuracy and reliability, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility and clarity, comparability, and coherence.

Quality management

Quality assurance

GASTAT declares that it considers the following principles: impartiality, user orientated, quality of processes and output, effectiveness of statistical processes, reducing the workload for respondents. 
Quality controls and validation of data are actions carried out throughout the process in different stages such as the data input and 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.

Relevance 

User needs 

Internal users in GASTAT of the data from the publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over:
•    Social statistics:
Population, gender, and diversity statistics.
Living conditions, lifestyles, and justice statistics
Health and education statistics.
There are a significant number of external users and beneficiaries of publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over, including:
•    Government entities.
•    Regional and international organizations.
•    Research institutions.
•    Media.
•    Individuals.

The disseminated key variables used by external users:

User satisfaction

Not available.

Completeness 

The data in the publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over are based on survey data sourced from the skills and learning survey for the population aged 15 and over, and the data status is complete.

Accuracy and reliability 

Overall accuracy

•    The data collected is improved through the researchers, which 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 in order 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

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 six months (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 takes place according to the published release dates on the statistical calendar publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over have
the website of the General Authority for Statistics.
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

Comparability - geographical

The data is geographically comparable.

Comparability - over time 

Starting from the year 2024, it will be implemented on an annual basis. 

Coherence- cross domain 

Not applicable. 

Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics 

Not applicable. 

Coherence- National Accounts 

Not applicable. 

Coherence - internal 

The estimates in the publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over have full internal coherence, as they are all based on the same corpus of microdata and calculated using the same estimation methods.

Resources used 

Data revision

Data revision - policy

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Data revision - practice

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Statistical processing

Source data

The main source of data for the publication of skills and learning statistics for the population aged 15 and over is the skills and learning survey for the population aged 15 and over.
The main variables published in the skills and learning survey data for the population aged 15 and over are:
•    Sex.
•    Nationality.
•    Age groups.
•    Administrative region.

Frequency of data collection 

Annual.

Data collection

Data collection from the survey:
Data for the skills and learning survey for the population aged 15 and over are collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) and computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI).

Data validation

Data are reviewed and matched to ensure their accuracy and precision in a way that suits their nature with the aim of giving the presented statistics quality and accuracy. 
The data of the current year publication are compared with the data of the previous year to ensure their integrity and consistency in preparation for processing data and extracting and reviewing results.
In addition to the data processing and tabulation to check their accuracy, all the outputs are stored and uploaded to the database after being calculated by GASTAT to be reviewed and processed by specialists in Health and Education Statistics through modern technologies and software designed for this purpose.

Data compilation

Data Coding:
In the publication of skills and learning statistics for adults aged 15 and over, interviewers collect from respondents, a detailed description of each field. This information is then coded in-house by an automated process, which is reviewed by a small-dedicated team of coding experts using a series of consistency checks.
Data editing:
Specialists from the Department of Health and Education Statistics and Social Statistics processed and analyzed the data at this stage, and this step was based on the following measures:
•    Sorting and arranging data in groups or different categories in a serial order.
•    Summarizing detailed data into key points or data.
•    Combining many data segments and ensuring their interconnection.
•    Processing incomplete or missing data.
•    Processing illogical data.
•    Converting data into statistically significant data.
•    Arranging, presenting, and interpreting data.
Extrapolation and weighting: 
After processing the data collected from respondents, survey weights were generated to produce indicator tables by following two main steps in creating survey weights: 
•    Adjustment of non-response.
•    Calibration weight
Applied statistical estimation:
GASTAT has relied on the formulas approved by the international standards in calculating Healthcare Statistics Publication indicators, as follows:
•    Proportion of the adult population enrolled in education and/or training:
The methodology for the indicator of the fourth goal (4.3.1) of the Sustainable Development Goals was used to calculate the indicator of the proportion of the adult population enrolled in education and/or training. It is defined as the proportion of youth and adults from a specific age group (15 to 24 years; 25 to 64 years, etc.) who have participated in formal or informal education or training during a given period of time, such as the last 12 months. ( 
•    Academic achievement rates for youth and adults by age group and level of education:
 Distribution of population according to highest level of education attained or completed. This indicator is typically used for the population aged 25 years or older, but it can also be calculated for young people (15 to 24 years old). For each level of education, the indicator measures the proportion of the population who have completed at least that level of education. 
•    Literacy rate among youth/adults:
Percentage of youth (ages 15-24) (and adults aged 15 and over) who are able to read, write, and understand a short, simple statement about everyday life.

Adjustment

Not applicable, only final results will be published.