The software environment R for official statistics and survey methodology

Abstract

The open-source programming language and software environment R is currently one of the most widely used and popular software tools for statistics and data analysis. This contribution provides an overview of important R packages used in official statistics and survey methodology and discusses the usefulness of R in the daily work of a statistical office. Examples of activities and developments in R related projects in several national and international statistical offices are given. The focus is not only on the internal infrastructure that national and international statistical offices provide for using R but also on some interesting R related projects carried out in those institutes. Two particular packages (laeken and sdcMicro) and one data set (Statistics on Earnings Survey) are used to illustrate the usefulness (and the user-friendliness) of R and to present methods available in R. In addition, the access to international statistical databases like WDI of World Bank and UN COMTRADE with R is illustrated.