National Statistical Institute

'Science, innovation and information society statistics' 

Maia Papazova

State expert

2, P. Volov Str.; 1038 Sofia, Bulgaria

[email protected]

+359 2 9857 733

The data on ICT usage in households and by individuals are based on an annual sample survey which is part of the European Community Statistical Programme. The methodology and the statistical tools are completely harmonized to Eurostat requirements and Regulation No.808/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council. The aim of the survey is to collect and disseminate reliable and comparable information on the use of Information and Communication Technologies in households at European level and covers the following subjects:

• access to and use of ICT systems by individuals and/or in households;
• use of internet for different purposes by individuals and/or in households;
• ICT security;
• ICT competence;
• e-Commerce;
• barriers to use of ICT and the internet;
• perceived effects of ICT usage on individuals and/or in households.

· National Classification of Occupations and Duties-2005 (NCOD-2005) - until 2010;

· National Classification of Occupations and Duties-2011 (NCOD-2011) - since 1 January 2011;

· International Standard Classification of Education, 1997 version (ISCED '97) - until 2013;

· International Standard Classification of Education, 2011 version (ISCED 2011) - since 2014;

· Classification of territorial units for statistical purposes in Bulgaria (NUTS).

The survey on ICT usage in households covers regular households which have at least one member aged between 16 and 74 years from different regions in Bulgaria and all their members aged between 16 and 74 years. The sample size for each year is about 5000 households which are randomly selected.

Household is two or more persons, living in one dwelling or part of dwelling, sharing common budget and eating together. Household is also a person, living in one dwelling, room or part of it, who has a separate budget for the cost of meals and expenses to satisfy other needs.

A computer is a desktop, laptop, netbook or tablet computer. The following devices should not be considered as computers: Smart phones, PDA with mobile phone facilities, games consoles, media players or e-book readers.

The fixed broadband connection to the internet includes ADSL, SDSL, VDSL, fiber optics technology (FTTP), cable technology, etc.

Households and individuals

The population of households consists of all private households having at least one member in the age group 16 to 74 years (households in which all members are aged under 16 and over 74 and institutional (collective) households are excluded). The population of individuals consists of all individuals aged 16 to 74.

Households located in any part of the territory of the country.

Annual time series are available from 2004 onwards. The contents of the model questionnaire is adapted each year to measure the development of the use of ICT. Therefore not all variables have long time series.

Not applicable.

Sample statistical survey on the ICT usage in households and by individuals.

Data are collected on an annual basis.

Face-to-face interviews.

Data validation is done by logical control of the primary data and comparison with the results of previous studies. Additional checks on comparability and data quality are carried out by Eurostat.

Data processing is done by special statistical software.

Not applicable.

The Methodological Manual provides guidelines and standards for the implementation of the survey.

The national quality report provides users with basic information on quality at national level.

Тhe data collected are used in the context of the 2011 - 2015 benchmarking framework for the Digital Agenda Scoreboard, Europe's strategy for a flourishing digital economy by 2020, as well as at national level by the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications for evaluation of the indicators of 'Digital Bulgaria 2015' programme and by other users.

Not available.

Complete data on the ICT usage in households are available according to Regulation (EC) No 808/2004.

Not applicable.

The sample used for the ICT usage in households and by individuals survey is a two-stage stratified cluster sample which includes about 5000 enterprises. Due to the sampling approach used the estimation of the parameters obtained from the survey could vary from those in the population due to sampling errors, errors due to non-response, errors in registration or processing etc.

Standard sampling errors are calculated and reported for a selection of indicators and breakdowns by the use of special statistical software.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

The non responce rate of the 2016 survey on ICT usage in households is 12% for the households and 13% for the individuals.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

In accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

In accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

Data are disseminated according to the NSI’s Release Calendar schedule.

Not applicable.

The final data are available 5 months after data collection and entry.

All deliverables are sent in time.

Not applicable.

Fully comparable with all EU member states.

Not applicable.

Partially comparable due to the changes of the general methodology.

There are continuous time series time series for certain variables from 2004 to the present.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Regular press release in the NSI's website.

· Statistical Yearbook;

· Statistical Reference Book;

· Statistical Panorama - Bulgaria;

· Publication 'Sustainable development of Bulgaria.

Data on ICT usage in households and by individuals are available to all users of the NSI website under the heading Information Society.

Not applicable.

In accordance to the Rules on Provision of the Anonymised Individual Data for Scientific and Research purposes.

Information services by order in accordance to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

Not applicable.

Methodological manual for statistics on the Information Society, by Eurostat.

Quality reports comprising general methodological information of the survey, on statistical unit, population, sampling design, response and non-response, data processing and sampling errors.

Not available.

· Law on Statistics

· Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.

In compliance to the Law on Statistics (Articles 25 and 26).