Data Linking Toolkit

The Data Linking Toolkit offers comprehensive guidance for integrating administrative, survey, and census data to enhance statistical capacity and support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) monitoring. Developed with contributions from UN Women, UNECA, UNSD, and national statistics offices, the toolkit addresses the growing need for robust, timely, and disaggregated data—especially gender-sensitive and intersectional data—to inform inclusive development policies. 

The toolkit details five key types of data linkage:

1.  Individual record linkage using deterministic and probabilistic methods
2. Matching census data with post-enumeration survey data
3. Linking individuals or households to service delivery points (including geospatial approaches)
4. Integrating survey and administrative data for indicator enhancement, and 
5. Enriching survey data with aggregated administrative data. Each method is illustrated with conceptual frameworks, real-world examples, and R-based implementation steps.

Critical prerequisites for successful data integration are emphasized, including legal frameworks, formal agreements, metadata standards, data quality assessments, and secure data handling protocols. The toolkit highlights practical challenges—such as missing unique identifiers, data inconsistencies, and privacy concerns—and provides solutions for each. Recommendations for national statistical offices include fostering institutional collaboration, developing robust internal policies, improving data collection practices, promoting standardization, ensuring data privacy, and enhancing data quality.

By adopting these approaches, countries can unlock the full potential of administrative data, strengthen national statistical systems, and generate richer insights for evidence-based policymaking and SDG acceleration.