Statistics in Lao PDR
The need to depend on statistics in decision-making has increased not only in socio-economic development planning but also in follow-ups and evaluations of the national objectives such as stopping opium poppy growing in 2005, stabilizing slash-and-burn cultivation and eradicating poverty in 2010, and freeing Lao PDR from the status of least developed country in 2020. Statistics is also required in helping Lao P.D.R. to fulfill its responsibilities within regionalization and globalization frameworks. To accomplish these responsibilities under the condition of limited human resources, it becomes inevitable to prioritize the types of data to be produced. The production of statistics has its own uniqueness and steps which require various inputs such as personnel, organizational structure, scope, budgets, clear plans and procedures. The Department of Statistics (DoS) which belongs to Committee for Planning and Investment is the coordinating body of production and dissemination of statistics and information within the national statistical system. It has created strategies and procedures as an operational guideline to develop the official statistical system of Lao PDR for the period from 2006 to 2010.
Reporting System
The progress of statistical work since
2000 has resulted from efforts of various authorities that form horizontal
and vertical linkages to the national statistical system. Through these
linkages, the National Statistics Centre have put together data from ministries
and provinces into annual statistical reports, 25-year and 30-year statistical
reports. The center has collected, analyzed and drafted reports on price
fluctuations based on monthly consumer price indices, as well as collected
and analyzed poverty data according to the Prime Ministerial Decree No:
10 /PM, dated: June 25, 2001. The center took lead in the preparation of
the 2nd
Activities and Results of Censuses and Sample Surveys
From 2000 to 2005, NSC has in cooperation with other ministries accomplished a number of major achievements. A national health survey of Lao P.D.R. with report writing was completed in 2000. In the same year, a reproductive health survey was conducted. Participatory poverty assessment surveys were carried out in 2000 and 2002-2003. Annual opium poppy growing surveys were executed from 2000 through 2004. In 2001analysis of labor market in Lao P.D.R was accomplished, supplemented by the 2002 non-agricultural labor survey. In 2003, a survey on border trade development was performed. In 2002-2003, the third expenditure and consumption survey (LECS III) with report writing was completed. Analysis of poverty in Lao P.D.R. was executed using the data from LECS III. In 2000 and 2003, population counts were done. An annual statistical supply and demand workshop was convened each year. Other accomplishments include business tendency survey in 2002, quarterly and annual business and retail store surveys from 2002 to 2004, annual household surveys from 2002, development of national account by calculating GDP from both production and expenditure sides, contribution to drafting a Millennium Development Goals report, taking the leading role in poverty analysis which was used in drafting the National Growth and Poverty Edication Strategy (NGPES) document, carrying out the 2005 population census. All field works of the census were completed in March 2005, and it is expected that all processes will be completed in early 2006. Furthermore, price surveys in relation to the International Comparison Program (ICP) were conducted in 2004 and 2005.