Mass Imputation for Census Estimation

Feasibility study of mass imputation for Census purposes
An important variable of the Population and Housing Census is the highest level of education attained. For the 2011 Census, this variable was observed from Dutch Labour Force Surveys (LFS).
The combined LFS’s are based on sample surveys, comprising approximately 300,000 persons in total.
For the upcoming 2021 Census, Statistics Netherlands plans to use a more extensive data source, the Educational Attainment File (EAF). The EAF includes data from several registers and sample surveys and has a coverage of more than 10 million people.

Although coverage of EAF is continuously expanded, a selective part of the population is still uncovered. This paper investigates the applicability of mass imputation for estimation of unknown educational levels at person level, focussing in particular on technical and methodological aspects.

Downloads