Administrative data
Also called: Administrative records · Topic: Economic Data: Census, NSS, Surveys and Statistical Tools · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Administrative data are records that government offices collect while doing their routine work, such as collecting tax, paying wages or registering births. They are not collected for statistics. Statisticians later reuse them to measure the economy. These records are cheap, quick and often available every month, and they cover a very large number of units. Their weakness is that they cover only people or firms who are registered with the system. Anyone outside it, such as most of the informal sector, is missed. In India, sources such as GSTN, EPFO, UPI and the Civil Registration System are now used in this way. The DPDP Act 2023 governs the privacy of such data.
Example
MoSPI's trial Index of Services Production (base year 2024–25) treats outward supplies reported in GST returns as a stand-in for services output. Its air transport, railways, and banking and insurance indices use administrative records from those sectors. Similarly, EPFO payroll data are used as a proxy for formal jobs.
Don't confuse with
- Survey data: A survey (such as PLFS or HCES) is designed for statistics and uses a random sample meant to represent the whole population. Administrative data are a by-product of government work and reach only those who are registered.
- Census: A census deliberately counts every unit for statistical purposes. Administrative records count only the units that deal with a particular office.