ECLAC Presents Portal on Statistics based on Small Area Estimation Models in Latin America

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) launched a portal on Statistics based on Small Area Estimation Models in Latin America, a tool developed by the United Nations regional organization’s Statistics Division for producing and disseminating social information at a subnational level.

The platform uses advanced Small Area Estimation methods to provide detailed statistics at the level of larger and smaller geographic divisions. The objective is twofold: to promote the use of these innovative methods, and to share the results that can be obtained.

Making informed decisions – especially in the design and implementation of effective public policies – requires having precise data at geographically disaggregated levels.

Household surveys are a crucial source of socioeconomic data. However, due to the limitations of the sample size, they cannot always provide disaggregated figures with the degree of detail needed. This is where Small Area Estimation methods come into play. These methods allow for producing more detailed estimates for key indicators, taking advantage of auxiliary information with greater geographic coverage, such as population censuses and data from satellite images.

On this portal, users will find essential statistics such as average income, and poverty and extreme poverty rates, estimated by ECLAC, at the level of major administrative divisions, meaning states, provinces, regions or departments, depending on the country.

The platform offers two ways to explore the information. First, there is an interactive map of the region, which allows for visualizing the indicators of interest and adding additional layers of geographic information from ECLAC’s geoportal (CEPALGEO).

The second option is through mosaics of comparative maps that allow for analyzing the situation in countries’ distinct subnational divisions, disaggregated by characteristics such as sex, area of residence, age, education level, ethnic and racial group, and disability status.

Finally, the portal includes a resources section for those interested in delving deeper into Small Area Estimation methodologies. Here users will find documentation and other materials that will help them to better understand these approaches and their usefulness for producing better statistics.

All the information on this portal comes from CEPALSTAT, the main gateway to the statistical information collected, systematized, calculated and published by ECLAC.