Statistika: Statistics and Economy Journal - No. 4/2023

Statistika, 103(4): 393–410
https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.8

Abstract
In the paper, we analyze one of the aspects of measuring poverty and social exclusion in the world within the context of the Europe 2030 Strategy, which is represented by very low work intensity. Using the data obtained from the EU-SILC 2021 statistical survey (for Slovakia and the Czech Republic), we apply logistic regression methods and generalized linear models to quantify the impact of relevant categorical factors on the Binary dependent variable very low work intensity of Slovak and Czech households. Based on the obtained results, wethe n process a comparative analysis, through which we quantify the same and also different features of these countries in terms of (quasi-)joblessness.

Keywords
(Quasi-)joblessness, logistic regression, least squares means, work intensity

https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.9

Abstract
Cities are home to a significant proportion of the population in the EU, providing access to job opportunities and public services and, subsequently, driving economic growth. However, cities also face social and environmental challenges such as poverty, prohibitively high housing costs, discrimination, crime, excessive noise and air pollution. This raises the issue of how residents in European cities perceive their lives and assess their overal well-being and satisfaction with the amenities in their city. A U-shaped relationship between life satisfaction and age is tested in a sample of European cities using data from the Quality of Life in European Cities survey, with higher levels of satisfaction expected among younger and older individuals. The results supported the hypothesis and provided evidence for the importance of considering age in the analysis of well-being in urban settings. Subjective well-being is not only influenced by personal factors such as age and individual experiences but also by the quality of the urban environment. The second part employs ordinal logistic regression to analyse individual and contextual factors of well-being in four Czech and Slovak cities, namely Prague, Ostrava, Bratislava, and Košice.

Keywords
Well-being, European cities, U-curve, urban environment, ordinal regression

Statistika, 103(4): 427–444
https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.20

Abstract
Finland and the Czech Republic are among the countries where population ageing has been the most pronounced in the last decade. The aim of the paper is to describe future development of life expectancy in the context of pension system reforms that are currently prepared by the politicians in analysed countries.
One-year age-and-sex-specific mortality rates for population aged 0 to 100+ were taken from the Human Mortality Database for 1950–2021 and projected to 2050. Three stochastic models were calculated in R and compared. Suitable was Lee-Carter model modified by Li-Lee-Gerland (with rotation of bx parameter) because of low infant mortality in both populations. Projected year-on-year change of life expectancy was comparable to the Eurostat, but absolute values were too optimistic in our case.
Values of temporary life expectancy between 60 and 70 years and indices of annual relative changes revealed relatively fast pace of increase in life expectancy in both populations which the pension systems should také into account.

Keywords
Ageing, Czech Republic, mortality projections, Finland, Li-Lee-Gerland model, temporary life expectancy

Statistika, 103(4): 445–461
https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.12

Abstract
The paper aims to assess various aspects concerning the payment phase of the old-age pension scheme, the socalled second pillar of the pension system in Slovakia. However, the conclusions may also be useful for other pension systems. Using the Lee-Carter model and standard actuarial methods, we conclude that the second pillar is advantageous for the high-income groups or in case of high performance of pension funds. We also address the issue of deferring the purchase of a lifetime annuity. Deferral can be beneficial when the yield of the pension fund exceeds a certain threshold value. This threshold usually raises with increasing age. We argue that the temporary pension is a disadvantageous product and its recent cancellation is correct. The main contribution of the paper subsists in a three-state model of long-term care insurance, using which we calculate corresponding replacement rates. Combined with a lifetime annuity, long-term care insurance can be beneficial.

Keywords
Pension system in Slovakia, Svensson yield curve, Lee-Carter model, lifetime annuity, deferred annuity, long-term care insurance

Statistika, 103(4): 462–475
https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.26

Abstract
The water and wastewater services, usually provided in a monopoly regime, do not offer the operators natural incentives toward efficiency and innovation. Therefore the main aim of the regulatory institutions is to stimulate a competitive environment. The contribution measures technical efficiency of 21 water and waste water companies in the Czech Repulic. For the period 2018–2020, the two-stage slacked-based model  (SBM) by Kaoru Tone and Miki Tsutsui (2009) was applied. The results of this study are heterogeneous. Only one company out of 21 can be identified as an overall technically efficient unit during all three analyzed years. It is Vodohospodárská společnost Olomouc (VSO) followed by Pražské vodovody a kanalizace (PVK) that is very close to full technical efficiency. Our results therefore reveal a strong potential for the decrease of ineficiency of the water sector in the Czech Republic. Another important outcome is the fact that regulation of the water industry in the Czech Republic is highly fragmented.

Keywords
Performance measurement, optimization, regulation, water industry, data envelopment analysis, Network SBM, Covid-19

Statistika, 103(4): 476–491
https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.13

Abstract
This paper explores the spending decisions about the EU Cohesion Policy 2014–20 investment in the low-carboneconomy in the 2 regions of Central and Eastern European countries with regard to their climate need, proxied by the carbon emissions. By estimating non-spatial and spatial econometric models, which take intoacc ount the spatial scope of the Cohesion Policy, we do not confirm a statistically significant positive relationship between climate need proxied by carbon emissions in 2013 and the EU funds to a low-carbon economy in the programming period 2014–20. Our results, therefore, suggest that the EU funds with the low-carbon thematic objective have not been primarily spent in the regions with the highest carbon emissions prior to the examined programming period, calling for increasing awareness and necessary technical assistance for the beneficiaries, along the place-based strategies in the implementation of the Cohesion Policy in the next programming periods.

Keywords
European structural and investment funds, allocation, low-carbon economy, spatial dependence, carbon emissions

Statistika, 103(4): 492–503
https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.32

Abstract
Increasing demand in surveys focused on quantitative characteristics (population mean among others) of controversial issues like corruption, tax evasion, drugs consumption of sensitive variables like spending on drugs or illegal sources of income which lead to lively research, are of randomized response techniques for quantitative variables. Therefore, we propose complex multicriteria evaluation methodology for randomized response techniques for population mean. Based on extensive review in the literature, following ranges of criteria were proposed: statistical properties of estimator, implementation and parameter choice, respondent burden and credibility and confidentiality protection of respondents’ data. Finally, we evaluate in this setting standard techniques using scramble variables and recently proposed techniques of dichotomous question.

Keywords
Randomized response techniques, scramble variable, multicriteria evaluation, survey sampling, Horvitz-Thompson estimator, population mean

Statistika, 103(4): 504–516
https://doi.org/10.54694/stat.2023.15

Abstract
Productivity rise as a source of growth has high potential to uplift millions out of poverty. Mitigating the productivity gap can play vital role in helping developing countries to offset with developed countries. In this regard, present study attempts to scrutinize the relationship and significance of various determinants of total factor productivity (TFP) in India for the period 1990–1991 to 2019–2020. To this end, autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing approach has been utilized. The results pinpoint that trade openness and unemployment have a positive impact on total factor productivity. On the other hand, inflation has a negative but insignificant relationship with total factor productivity, both in the short and long run. The results imply that exports need to be diversified, and import of capital goods should be encouraged to enhance TFP in the long run. Further, foreign-owned business entities need to be encouraged to hire domestic workers, which would result in enhanced TFP in the long run.

Keywords
Economic growth, total factor productivity, ARDL, trade openness