This manual provides guidance on the use of administrative data for statistical purposes related to children and adolescents, with a focus on data linkage and cross-sectoral integration. Prepared by the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean with leadership and technical guidance from the National Institute of Statistics of Chile and the National Institute of Statistics of Uruguay, in their capacity as co-chairs of the Working Group on Child Statistics of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the manual aims to strengthen the capacity of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) to produce high-quality, timely, and relevant statistics on children. Using administrative data, it supports decision-making that upholds the rights of the child as defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by generating critical data.

Administrative data—collected through public services such as health, education, social welfare, and civil registration—can provide cost-effective and timely insights for child-related statistics, particularly when linked across sectors. Such data are essential for fulfilling the CRC and for monitoring progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The manual is organized into three chapters, each designed to guide NSOs in the strategic and technical use of administrative data for statistics on children and adolescents.