Methodology

City Groups   Titchfield Group

Titchfield Group on Ageing-related Statistics and Age-disaggregated Data


Purpose

The Titchfield Group on Ageing statistics was created at the forty-ninth session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) in March 2018. The purpose of the group is to contribute to establishing international standards and methods for the compilation of statistics and data on the major dimensions of ageing and age-disaggregated data across the life cycle, and to collaborate with United Nations (UN) bodies and other organizations concerned with specific aspects of ageing and age statistics.

The overall objective of the Titchfield Group is to develop standardized tools and methods for producing both data disaggregated by age and ageing-related data, and encourage countries to do so, by playing a leading role in the development and communication of new standards and methodologies. The City Group will also address existing issues and deficits in data on ageing.

Points of contact

For other information contact:

Richard Pereira
Chair, Titchfield Group on Ageing-related Statistics and Age-disaggregated Data
UK Office for National Statistics
E-mail: Rich.pereira@ons.gov.uk

Jo Green
UKSA International Services
E-mail: jo.green@statistics.gov.uk

Year organized

2018

Participants (by country and/or organization)

The Titchfield Group includes members from National Statistical Offices from countries representing all regions of the world, as well as additional representatives from UN agencies, multilateral and bilateral agencies, academies, and civil society organizations.

There are 58 National Statistics Offices/Systems who support the work of the Titchfield Group:

Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Comoros, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Turks and Caicos, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

International organizations: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNHabitat, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), UNWomen, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

UNSC city groups: Praia Group and Washington Group.

Civil society organizations: AARP, Development Initiatives, HelpAge International, and Gray Panthers.

Academia: University of Chiang Mai, and University of Southern California and other academics with expertise in ageing.

Private sector: Hamad Medical Corp (Qatar).

Meetings

Main Topics considered

  • Assessment of evidence on ageing (to identify how well ageing populations are currently being measured)
  • Horizon scanning (will existing and planned data sources meet future needs?)
  • Conceptual and analytical framework (to explore the concepts around ageing and what can be measured)
  • Standardization and harmonization guidelines (to encourage comparable measurement of progress towards SDGs)

Underlying these is ensuring that alignment is maintained to the SDGs and that there is a suitable mechanism for sharing information, including knowledge transfer and an assessment of suitable platforms.

Reporting to the UNSC

Products

The Titchfield Group has published two reports.

Report on Making older persons visible in the Sustainable Development Goals’ monitoring framework and indicators:

World Health Organization (2024). Making older persons visible in the sustainable development goals’ monitoring framework and indicators. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/376154. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development contains a pledge “to leave no one behind”. The above report aims to ensure that older persons are visible within Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) monitoring by improving how national statistical offices (NSOs) collect, disaggregate, and use data relating to older adults. The report reviews and identifies priority population‑based SDG indicators relevant to older people and presents case studies from 20 NSOs on their SDG reporting practices for this population group. The report also documents the challenges and opportunities encountered by NSOs in coordinating and collecting a wide range of data on older persons. Insights are provided into how challenges can be addressed, which may also be relevant to other age groups and life stages.

The report identifies three target areas which could strengthen the capacity of NSOs to improve data reported on older persons:

1. Address demand for better data

Overall, gaps exist in monitoring SDG indicators inclusive of older persons at national and global levels. Yet when these data are available, they can provide important insights.

When age and sex disaggregated data exist, they can provide a nuanced understanding of the experiences of older persons and inform the development of policies to improve their lives.

This demand for better data requires accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data, including data disaggregated by age, to include all people in order to monitor SDG progress and accountability.

2. Disaggregate data by 5-year age and sex groups

Given that there is no typical older person, it is important to disaggregate data by both age and sex across all ages. Differences among older men and women should be documented, then investigated to determine why variations exist and what can be done to improve the context of older people at every age.

3. Increase strategic investments and learning across countries

A significant barrier to the collection, access and use of data is availability of funding and capacity. Priorities include stronger coordination and leadership on sustainable development data, modernizing national statistical systems, reinforcing core statistical programmes, improving data dissemination and use, fostering multistakeholder data partnerships, and mobilizing resources to build statistical capacity.

Key messages of the report:

  • By 2030, one in six people around the world will be older persons. To understand this heterogeneous group, data collection mechanisms and methods should be explored, including age-disaggregation.
  • The 2030 Agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals endorsed by UN Member States. Among the 234 indicators, 46 were identified to be population-based, can monitor the needs and rights of older persons, are relevant to national priorities and make older persons visible.
  • Globally, across 215 NSOs, 20 provided insights on data disaggregation for 20 indicators, documenting that including nationally representative data on older persons is possible and should be expanded.
  • Learnings can be used to enhance collaboration and increase disaggregated data on older persons across statistical offices and in other national, regional and global efforts, including with non-state actors.

Report on Improving the visibility of older persons in global statistics:

Summary Report on Improving the visibility of older persons in global statistics: PDF
Report on Improving the visibility of older persons in global statistics: PDF

The Titchfield City Group conducted a comprehensive assessment of data related to 56 SDG indicators, focusing on five critical policy priorities for ageing and older persons: Health and Care; Financial Security; Violence, Abuse and Safety; Participation; and Enabling Environment. The Group’s analytical approach included three principal methods:

  • i. A global review of data gaps across all countries using the UN Global SDG metadata repository.
  • ii. A targeted survey of 13 national statistical offices (NSOs) from countries chosen to reflect diverse levels of development, regional locations, and demographic characteristics.
  • iii. Three case studies, which included semi-structured interviews with NSO colleagues responsible for SDG reporting, offering a deeper understanding of the challenges and successes experienced at the national level.

The key findings of this report reveal a varied landscape in the use of age-disaggregated data. Self-reported data availability was reported for almost all the selected indicators for an average of 60% of countries worldwide, and for 69% of indicators in our survey. However, age-disaggregated data for older persons was only available for approximately one third of indicators in both our global review and our survey. Availability of age-disaggregated data was highest for indicators in the Health and Care policy priority and lowest for indicators in the Enabling Environment policy priority.

Examination of data underlying survey responses showed that the accessibility of age-disaggregated data to users was often lower than the self-reported availability of this data. With all but one exception, high-income countries showed higher rates compared with lower-income countries. While many countries employed harmonised data that aligned with international standards, this practice varied significantly across countries.

This report highlights five critical data policy recommendations to address the identified gaps and ensure that the needs of older persons are fully represented in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals:

1. Leverage diverse data sources: Expanding the use of administrative registers and census data can fill critical gaps, enable finer age-disaggregation, and provide more detailed insights into older populations.

2. Standardise data collection: Harmonising definitions and methodologies across countries is essential for consistent, reliable, and comparable age-disaggregated data.

3. Revise and enhance surveys: Modifying existing sample surveys will ensure that older age groups are accurately represented, capturing a fuller spectrum of their needs and experiences.

4. Invest in national statistical systems: Increased financial and technical support is crucial for strengthening the infrastructure needed to produce high-quality, disaggregated data.

5. Foster global collaboration: International partnerships and mutual learning will enhance data comparability and accessibility, supporting inclusive SDG implementation.

These improvements will not only enhance the comparability and accessibility of ageing-related data but also ensure that the global commitment to inclusivity and leaving no one behind is realised. By integrating these approaches, we can ensure that the SDG frameworks more accurately reflect the realities of ageing populations, thereby supporting more effective policy-making and sustainable development.

Last updated 8 April 2026


Active Groups

Completed Groups