Reliability of estimates (sample error)
The estimates in this publication are based on information obtained from agricultural businesses that responded to the 2021-22 Rural Environment and Agricultural Commodity Survey. As not all businesses responded, the estimates are subject to sampling variability and may differ from the estimates that would have been produced if information had been obtained from all businesses.
The most common measure of the likely difference resulting from not all businesses responding is given by the standard error. There are about two chances in three that a sample estimate will differ by less than one standard error from the estimate that would have been obtained if all businesses had responded, and about nineteen chances in twenty that the difference will be less than two standard errors.
In this publication, relative standard error (RSE) is used to measure 'sampling' variability. RSEs are calculated by expressing the standard error as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers. Estimates should be used with caution that have:
- RSEs between 10% and 25% - this level of sample variability may be too high for some purposes
- RSEs between 25% and 50% - this level of sample variability may be too high for most practical purposes
- RSEs greater than 50% - this level of sample variability is considered unreliable for general use.