Issues and strategies for small area data - ARCHIVED

This paper identifies some technical issues in the provision of small area data derived from censuses, administrative records and surveys. Although the issues are of a general nature, they are discussed in the context of programs at Statistics Canada. For survey-based estimates, the need for developing an overall strategy is stressed and salient features of survey design that have an impact on small area data are highlighted in the context of redesigning a household survey. A brief review of estimation methods with their strengths and weaknesses is also presented.