Abstract
The OECD Family database has been developed to collate in one central location information and indicators relating to family outcomes, family policies and children in order to address the growing demand for cross-national information on the situation of families and children. The information is taken from different OECD databases, specifically developed questionnaires and non-OECD sources. The OECD Family database now includes 52 indicators across four broad headings: the structure of families, families and children, the labour market position of families, public policies for families and children, and child outcomes. This paper presents the Family database and discusses data and methodological issues as illustrated by selected example indicators.
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Notes
Using the 15–49 age group to calculate total fertility rates is not entirely correct as in many countries there has been an increase in the number of women giving birth in their 50s. However, this number remains small so the resulting error is negligible.
The replacement value of 2.1 is also a rough estimate of the replacement of a population as infant mortality rates vary between countries; in countries where infant mortality is above average, replacement values would be correspondingly higher.
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The authors have all contributed to the development of the OECD Family database, as they worked in the Social Policy Division of the OECD Directorate of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs. The views expressed in this paper cannot be attributed to the OECD or its Member Countries: as with any remaining errors, they are the responsibility of the authors alone.
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Adema, W., del Carmen Huerta, M., Panzera, A. et al. The OECD Family Database: Developing a Cross-National Tool for Assessing Family Policies and Outcomes. Child Ind Res 2, 437–460 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-009-9044-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-009-9044-8