Progress on a statistical spatial framework to inform regional statistics

Abstract

A range of factors are driving increased demand for location-enabled statistical information. The statistical and geospatial community are responding to the challenge of improving methods to integrate statistical and geospatial information and thereby increasing the amount of information available for small area region analysis. Under direction from the UN Statistical Commission and the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management these two communities are collaborating through the newly formed UN Expert Group on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information. This Expert Group is principally tasked with development of a global statistical-geospatial framework – modelled on the Statistical Spatial Framework developed by Australia – and addressing wider issues associated with this framework.