The system of Demographic Statistics and Statistics of Foreign Migration in the Slovak Republic

Demography statistics along with regularly performed population and housing censuses and along with the system of supplementary population surveys (microcensuses) provides the decisive bulk of information on population as a whole, on its spatial distribution, numbers, structures and characteristics in the specific period of time.

I. DATA COLLECTION
Demography statistics is collected by way of statistical survey on population changes (vital events and migration) conducted each year by the Statistical Office of the SR by means of statistical reports OBYV 1-5/12. The survey covers the whole population of the SR including the foreign citizens who have been granted the permanent residence permit in the SR. It is an exhaustive survey conducted under the Programme of National Statistical Surveys. The Programme of National Statistical Surveys is a legislative document imposing the reporting duty concerning all statistical surveys on reporting units according to § 18, Par. 3 of Act No. 540/2001 Coll. on State Statistics.

Demography statistics in the Slovak Republic covers the following demographic events: birth, marriage, divorce, change of address of permanent residence and death. The data are collected from the reporting units including municipal and city authorities in charge of keeping birth, marriage and death registers (i.e. registry offices), health institutions, competent courts, residence registration offices of municipal and city authorities, competent departments of the Ministry of Interior for foreigners. There is also a special register of the vital events that occurred to SR citizens abroad.

Demographic data are drawn from the following reports on demographic events for each SR citizen as well as for each foreigner granted permanent residence permit in the Slovak Republic:
OBYV 1-12 (Statistical Report on the Conclusion of Marriage)
OBYV 2-12 (Statistical Report on Birth)
OBYV 3-12 (Medical Report and the Statistical Report on Death)
OBYV 4-12 (Statistical Report on Divorce)
OBYV 5-12 (Statistical Report on Change of the Address of Permanent Residence/Report on Migration)

Statistics on marriages
The "Statistical Report on the Conclusion of Marriage (OBYV 1-12)" is the source of the data; registry offices are reporting units. The following information is collected:
- date of marriage
- personal data on groom and bride (birth number, marital status, highest level of completed education, ethnic nationality)
- address of permanent residence
- serial number of marriage
- for the divorced, or widowed date of divorce, or date of spouse´s death

Statistics on births
The "Statistical Report on Birth (OBYV 2-12)" is the data source; registry offices are reporting units. Before sending the report to the Statistical Office, the registrar checks reliability and completeness of the data filled in by the health institution where the child was born. The following information is collected:
- personal data of child (date of birth, sex, citizenship at the time of birth)
- basic characteristics of birth (vitality, type of birth, birth weight, birth length, duration of pregnancy in weeks, serial number of the present birth, date of birth of the former child)
- details on child´s parents (highest level of completed education, ethnic citizenship, address of permanent residence, date when the marriage was concluded)
- marital status of mother

Statistics on deaths
The "Medical Report and the Statistical Report on Death (OBYV 3-12)" is the source of the data; registry offices are reporting units. Before submitting the report to the Statistical Office, the registrar checks reliability and completeness of the data filled in by the medical doctor. Collected information includes:
- date of death
- personal data on the deceased (date of birth, address of permanent residence, sex, marital status, ethnic nationality, state citizenship)
- cause of death
- information on autopsy
- details on children deceased under 1 year of age (duration of life, location of death, birth weight, whether father of child was husband of the child´s mother)

Statistics on divorces
The "Statistical Report on Divorce (OBYV 4-12)" is the source of the data; district (regional) courts are reporting units. The following information are covered:
- date of concluding the marriage
- number of living children born in wedlock (from which minor children)
- spouses´ latest common address
- highest level of completed education
- ethnic nationality
- serial number of divorce
- cause of the marriage breakdown
- data on court procedures (items are defined by the Ministry of Interior and include type of divorce application, results of proceedings, grounds for dismissal of divorce application, appeal against court´s decision, etc.)

Statistics on change of the address of permanent residence
The "Statistical Report on Change of the Address of Permanent Residence/Report on Migration (OBYV 5-12)" is the source of the data, and  municipal and city authorities  and competent departments of the Ministry of Interior for foreigners, are reporting units. The following data are collected:
- details on the person who has changed her/his address of permanent residence (date of birth, sex, marital status, highest level of completed education, ethnic nationality, citizenship)
- date when the person was registered on residence
- reason for move
- address of the former and of the new permanent residence, or country of departure and country of arrival

From 1958, demography statistics includes also data on spontaneous and induced abortions. The data are drawn from the information system of the Ministry of Health. The National Health Information Centre under the Ministry of Health produces the abortion data by means of processing the form "Application for Abortion and the Report on Abortion".

II. DATA PROCESSING
Processing of demographic data is performed under the automated statistical information system (ASIS) encompassing the following three databases: the source database, the production database and the public database. The source database is loaded with primary data, the production database with outputs from primary data processing, and the public database is opened to external users, e.g. bodies co-operating with the Statistical Office of the SR, such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice.

The data processing has the following phases:
- recording and checking data from the OBYV 1-5/12 reports
- loading data into the source database
- processing outputs for the production database
- production of output tables and of other aggregates

Demography statistics is processed continually, separately for each month and for the whole year.

Data on population change are processed in monthly statistical processing, and, as a result, the following outputs are available:
- statistics on population change (basic absolute and relative indicators, population growth and population numbers by sex for a given period)
- tables on individual demographic events (statistics on marriages, divorces, births, abortions, deaths and the change of permanent residence)
- specific age-related indicators for concerned persons (e.g. fiancés, mothers of the new live-born, the dead, divorced couples, females who have undergone abortion, etc.)

In case of delays in administrative registration of individual demographic events with registry offices, or with other reporting units such as residence registration offices or district courts, an undesirable gap between the date where a demographic event took place de facto and the period of its statistical processing can arise. Therefore, the population number on 30 June of a given year (i.e. mid-year population) calculated by using monthly results of statistical processing is the preliminary data, and so are the relative data calculated from the preliminary data on mid-year population. On the other hand, data aggregates (quantitative data) for the whole year (e.g. total number of marriages, births, deaths) are the definitive data.

The definitive data on mid-year population is calculated by using annual results of statistical processing at the end of year that is performed for compilation of the population´s age structure (the balancing method). The annual results include the numbers of all demographic events processed and assorted already by date where they took place de facto (i.e. all the events that took place really till 30 June of a given year).

The definitive data on mid-year population is used for calculation of definitive relative indicators in a detailed territorial structure.

Concerning annual statistical processing, ´annual files´ are produced by aggregation of ´monthly files´. The annual files are used for:
- balancing population change (by sex, year of birth, territory where the person was born, marital status and ethnic nationality)
- producing aggregated table files for the presentation and publication purposes (e.g. the age structure of the population)
- producing a file of combining tables (the demographic source book)
- producing special outputs such as life tables, marriage tables, etc.

III. SUPPLYING AND PRESENTATION OF DATA

The following outputs are available as a result of monthly statistical processing: aggregated data for quarter of year, for six months and for the whole year (basic data on marriages, births, deaths, infant deaths under 1 year of age and population numbers are supplied for the UN Bulletin each month) and:
- preliminary population numbers by sex for the SR and for its regions, districts, cities
- preliminary results for individual files (i.e. marriages, divorces, births, abortions, deaths, changes of permanent address) for the SR and for its districts in absolute and relative figures
- statistics on population change for the SR and for its regions, districts, cities

The following outputs are published as a result of annual data processing:
- definitive data on population change for the SR and for its districts, cities in absolute and relative figures
- the number and the structure of population by ethnic nationality for the SR and for its regions, districts
- the age structure of SR population by sex, marital status and by ethnic nationality for the SR
- outputs of balancing population change by sex for the SR and for its regions, districts, municipalities (new live births, deaths, natural increase, immigrants, emigrants, migration increase, total increase, population on 1 January, mid-year population, population on 31 December)
- the age structure of SR population by sex for the SR and for its regions, districts

THE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS:
The State and Movement of the Population in the SR in ... (year)
Basic data on the number and change of the population (marriage, divorce, birth, death, change of the address of permanent residence) for the SR and for its areas, regions, districts, cities. Periodicity: annual
The Development of the Population in the SR in ... (year)
An analysis of population phenomena and processes including characteristics of population reproduction in the SR and in its regions.
Periodicity: annual

The Age Structure of the Population of the Slovak Republic in ... (year)
Data on the age structure of the population as of 1 July and as of 31 December differentiated by sex and by single year of age, and further indicators related to the age structure of the population for the SR and for its areas, regions and districts.
Periodicity: annual

The Balance of Movement of the Population by Municipalities in ... (year)
The numbers of the population in all municipalities differentiated by sex, calculated by using the balancing method based on the initial state and on the numbers of the new live-born, the dead and of immigrants, emigrants in the given year. An overview of the municipalities by population number.
Periodicity: annual

The Balance of Movement of the Population by Ethnic Nationality in ... (year)
The numbers of the population by sex and by ethnic nationality in the SR and in its regions, districts computed by means of the balancing method based on the initial state and on the numbers of the new-born, the dead and of immigrants, emigrants.
Periodicity: annual

The International Migration and Foreigners in the Slovak Republics in ... (year)
An analysis of data on international migration of the population, and a table-annex containing data from the source of the Statistical Office of the SR and from other bodies dealing with the foreigners´ issues.
Periodicity: annual

The Life Tables for the SR (rerions, districts)
Life tables in a detailed form (for the SR) and in a concise form (for SR regions, districts), definitions of life table indicators and methodology of calculation.
Periodicity: annual (SR); irregular (SR regions, districts)

The prognoses of population development and of households development
- The Prognosis of Population Development for the SR till 2025
- The Prognosis of Households Development for the SR till 2025
- The Prognosis of Population Development for the SR Regions till 2025
- The Prognosis of Households Development for the SR Regions till 2025
Periodicity: irregular

The Population Change in the SR in ... (year)
The so-called ´source publication´; detailed results of data processing on population change in the SR for data files on marriage, divorce, birth, abortion, death, cause of death and on migration.
Periodicity: annual (SR)

In addition to the abovementioned publications, the outputs of demographic statistics such as the basic tendencies of population change and migration are presented also on regular press conferences.

The quarterly journal ´Slovak Statistics and Demography´ is devoted to specific theoretical and methodological issues as well as problems of population and housing census and results of other censuses. It also contains analyses of the population structure and of population development from different points of view. Various demographic characteristics are also included, and interrelations amongst development of population, employment, education and health care are highlighted in the journal.

Another forum for the data presentation are demographic conferences held by the ´Slovak Statistical and Demographic Association´ once in two years.

IV. POPULATION PROGNOSES

The prognoses of population development and of households development are prepared irregularly, upon the requests of the SR government and of other central bodies. The prognoses are calculated for the SR as a whole and for its territorial units.

In co-operation with the Demographic Research Centre, the Statistical Office of the SR has prepared new prognoses of population development and of households development, each processed for the whole SR and for its regions with the upper time limit represented by the year 2025. The new prognoses for the whole SR have been calculated using the population number by sex and by age on 31 December 2001 already after taking into account results of the Population and Housing Census carried out on 26 May 2001.

The new prognoses of population development for the whole SR have been processed in three alternatives (the low, the middle and the high one), each based on a specific scenario of development of reproduction indicators and migration. The scenarios were designed by combination of fertility, mortality and migration rates.

The new prognosis of population development for SR regions up to the year 2025 has been processed for each individual region of the SR and for each individual year of the period concerned. The prognosis was calculated by using the population number and the population age structure of each region on 31 December 2002. Development scenarios were designed for each individual region by combining development alternatives of fertility, mortality and migration rates till 2025.

The prognoses of households development for the SR as a whole and for its regions with the upper time limit represented by the year 2025 were processed in a similar way.

V. INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY
In order to achieve comparability of demographic indicators within the European Statistical System, the data are processed for the national (NUTS 1), the regional (NUTS 2 and NUTS 3) and the local (LAU 1 and LAU 2) levels. For the purposes of countries designation and for the purposes of processing data on international migration, the country-code list after the international standard ISO 3166-93 is used. Data on causes of death are processed after the 10th International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD - 10).

Demographic outputs of data processing from the monthly population survey covering the total SR population provide reliable population data, therefore, it is not necessary to calculate population estimates or estimates of individual demographic characteristics for the Slovak Republic.

VI. STATISTICS ON FOREIGN MIGRATION

The data collection for migration statistics takes place in two lines:
a) The Statistical Office of the SR monitors the numbers of internal and foreign migrants registered on or checked out from the permanent residence by means of the Statistical Report on Change of the Address of Permanent Residence/Report on Migration (OBYV 5-12). In demographic statistics, the numbers of population with permanent residence in the territory of the SR are processed after law on reporting the Residence of Citizens of the Slovak Republic and on Register of Inhabitants of the Slovak Republic. The permanent residence is defined as the stay of the person usually in the place of his/her domicile in the territory of the SR; at the same time, the person may have only one permanent residence at a given point of time.

b) In co-operation with the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Statistical Office of the SR co-ordinates the collection and supplying of migration data according to Eurostat requirements and UN recommendations, and prepares also collection and supplying of data according to the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on migration and international protection.

In this connection, an automated system of data collection on short-term migration (i.e. migration from 3 months to 1 year) is being prepared to replace the previously used (i.e. until the end of the last year) system of paper forms. The Statistical Office of the SR will be able to supply Eurostat with the reference data on short-term migration for the year 2005 already from the Register of Inhabitants of the SR under the Ministry of Interior.

Long-term immigration. The 2003 data on immigrants with the legal residence for at least one year have been for the first time drawn from the ´Register of Residence Permits´ of the Bureau of Border and Aliens´ Police. The data represent residence permits totals comprising all the residence permits each person was granted during a given year. (A person could be granted more residence permits during the year successively, depending on the purpose of his/her stay, e.g., the residence permit for the purpose of study while the person was studying later followed by the residence permit for the purpose of employment once he/she started a job). The 2003 data are not yet specified by duration of the person´s de facto stay in the country. Nevertheless, the Bureau of Border and Aliens Police, in co-operation with the Statistical Office of the SR, has prepared a new plan for the 2004 statistical outputs. In accordance with this plan, the 2004 data on long-term immigrants include already duration of the de facto stay in the country and represent the number of persons granted the residence permit instead of the number of granted residence permits. The country of the person´s former residence (country of arrival) could also be included in the 2005 tables on long-term immigrants.

The Statistical Office of the SR has available data on immigrants with the permanent residence by sex, age, country of the former residence, and country of citizenship.

Long-term emigration. Information on long-term emigration is drawn from the Bureau of Border and Aliens´ Police; the data represent the numbers of cases of terminated residence including both the persons to whom the period of the legal stay elapsed (i.e. their residence permits terminated) and the persons checked-out from the residence in the country. Reference information on the country of departure for the year 2005 can be available from the register of the Bureau of Border and Aliens´ Police.

Data on the numbers of emigrants from the SR checked out from the permanent residence in the Slovak Republic before leaving it can be supplied from data sources of the Statistical Office of the SR. The data are available by sex, age, citizenship and by country of departure. At present, a discussion on processing the statistical outputs necessary for demographic and migration statistics as well as for census and for other surveys (e.g. sample surveys) with the staff responsible for the Register of Inhabitants of the SR under the Ministry of Interior takes place.

In the future, it will be possible to draw the data on population by citizenship and by country of birth from the Register of Inhabitants of the SR. The population number does not include persons with the status of asylum seekers, as asylum seekers are not granted the residence permit in the Slovak Republic. However, once a person is granted asylum, he/she automatically receives the permanent residence permit and is entered into the Register of Inhabitants of the SR and is included in the population number.

The Centre of Labour, Social Affairs and Family under the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the SR processes, a. o., statistics on employment migration. Act No. 5/2004 (Coll.) on Employment Services regulates foreigners´ employment in the Slovak Republic. According to the law, economic migrants can be hired on the basis of individual interests (i.e. individually), and the employment permit shall be issued for each foreign employee separately. Generally, the Slovak Republic authorities do not encourage granting the residence permit for the purpose of seeking employment.

The Centre of Labour, Social Affairs and Family has supplied the Statistical Office of the SR with the first reference data on foreigners´ employment in the SR for the year 2004 according to Eurostat requirements. Data on the number of employed SR citizens can be drawn from the Labour Force Survey carried out by the SO SR.

The Statistical Office of the SR has obtained data on self-employed persons by citizenship on 1 January 2003 by linking its register of self-employed persons with the register of residence permits granted for the business purposes under the Bureau of Border and Aliens Police. The data are differentiated by regions, NACE, ISCO and by age, and they meet fully Eurostat requirements. In the future, it will be possible to draw the data from the Register of Inhabitants of the SR under the Ministry of Interior.

The Migration Office supplies Eurostatwith monthly data on asylum, and it sends them also to the Statistical Office of the SR.

The Bureau of Border and Aliens Police supplies the CIREFI (Centre d´information, de réflexion et d´échanges en mati?re de franchissement des fronti?res et d´immigration / Centre for Information, Discussion and Exchange on the Crossing of Frontiers and Immigration) with monthly data on illegal migration.

In January 2005, the Government of the Slovak Republic adopted the concept of migration policy, following international agreements on the topic, which the SR is bound to. In order to co-ordinate future activities resulting from the concept of migration policy, the Minister of Interior was put in charge with establishing a working commission of deputies of concerned ministries, the SR Government Office, the Statistical Office of the SR, the Office of United Nations´ High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Migration Organisation and the Slovak Helsinki Committee.

Recently, substantial changes in the system of granting and registration of residence permits took place. On 1 April 2002, an Act No. 48/2002 Coll. on Stay of Alienswas put in force. By the adoption of that law, compliance has been achieved with the Constitution of the SR and with international agreements signed by the SR on the issues of family reunion, and migration and the stay of foreigners. The law gives a legislative basis for approximating migration legislation of the SR to legislation of the EU.

Also, an amendment has been made to the Act No. 253/1998 Coll. on Reporting the Residence of Citizens of the Slovak Republic and on Register of Inhabitants of the Slovak Republic. The law has been published unabridged as the law No. 496/2008 regulating /i/ rights and duties of the SR citizens at notifying their residence, /ii/ rights and duties of municipalities in registering the SR citizens´ residence, /iii/ establishing the Register of Inhabitants of the SR and /iv/ supplying data from the Register of Inhabitants of the SR and from the Register of SR citizens´ residence.

By the amendment to the Act No. 40/1993 Coll. on National Citizenship, approved in 2007, the conditions for the granting of the SR citizenship were amended, and some cases facilitating the acquisition of the SR citizenship were treated.

The amendment to Act No. 480/2002 Coll. on Asylum, effective from February 2005, reconciles migration and asylum legislation of the SR with legislation of the EU; it facilitates the entry of foreigners into the asylum procedure.

Regarding employment migration, according to the amendment to the Act No. 387/1996 on Employment, the employer shall notify the Centre of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of all the foreigners he/she employs.

In the field of migration statistics, there is a close co-operation between the Statistical Office of the SR and the Czech Statistical Office; it is mainly because of the fact the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic formed a common state and shared a common history in the past. The contacts with the Czech partner involve exchange of experience from surveys and from implementation of required indicators. The SO SR also plans to exchange data on migration flows between Slovakia and the Czech Republic and to compare individual kinds of migration statistics.

VII. THE INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN THE ROUTINE STATISTICAL SURVEY ON POPULATION AND THE POPULATION CENSUS

In the Slovak Republic, demography statistics is built upon results of the Population Census. In the intercensal period (i.e. between two subsequent censuses), the number of population is calculated by means of the balancing method.

The Population Census is usually carried out in the course of the year, i.e. not in the beginning (1 January), nor in the end (31 December) of the year. Therefore, the number of population on 1 January is computed from population data referring to the Census date by using the balancing method. The following equation illustrates this process:

The number of population on 1 January = the number of population on the Census date - the number of the new born (from 1 January to the Census date) + the number of the dead (from 1 January to the Census date) - net migration (from 1 January to the Census date).

Although Census results differ from results of the routine statistical survey on population change, the data are not revised after the subsequent Census. The differences in the results are caused mainly by the fact that in the Census the method of self-enumeration is used and not each inhabitant does fulfil his/her reporting duty. A difference in data on the population number can occur also in case where SR citizens, or foreigners granted permanent residence in the SR, fail to check out from competent bodies before leaving for the permanent residence abroad. (The ´competent bodies´ means the Register of Inhabitants of the SR, for SR citizens, and the Bureau of Border and Aliens Police, for foreigners granted permanent residence in the SR).

Anyway, Census results are the basic data that serve for balancing the population data in the intercensal period in the Slovak Republic.