Information on the Seventh Round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS7)

12 September 2025 - The Statistical Office of the Republic (SORS), in cooperation with UNICEF and with financial support from UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Republic of Serbia, and other partners, is conducting the seventh cycle of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS7) in the Republic of Serbia.

MICS is a global research programme focused on collecting data on the most vulnerable groups of the population – children under the age of 5, children aged 5–17, as well as collecting data on the health and status of women and men.

From 15 September to 15 December 2025, in 136 municipalities across the Republic of Serbia, 11 SORS teams (around 70 associates) will be engaged in surveying household members and measuring children.

MICS7 is carried out on a representative sample, in two surveys – one covering 8,000 households from the general population and the other 2,000 households from Roma settlements. The data collected relate to early childhood development, immunisation, health, breastfeeding and infant nutrition, children’s education, early marriage, women’s reproductive health, living conditions, water quality, household energy use, and more.

During fieldwork, SORS associates will carry identification cards displaying the UNICEF, UNFPA, and SORS insignia. In addition to the logos, the card will include a photograph, personal ID number, and authorisation for the associate’s work. Selected households will also receive a letter by post addressed to the head of household, while all police stations in the areas where the survey is being conducted have been informed about the research.
MICS is UNICEF’s global research programme, developed in consultation with UN agencies, and serves as a basis for developing and monitoring numerous national policies and strategies.

Through the previous six rounds of research in the Republic of Serbia (from 1996 to 2019), MICS has continually evolved and become a key source of data on the overall situation of women and children – the first round of MICS provided 28 indicators, while the sixth round provided 145. Data collected in this way have enabled the development and monitoring of many national and international priorities and policies.

Today, MICS indicators are the basis for monitoring the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma Women and Men, the Education Development Strategy up to 2030, the Action Plan for Chapter 23 in the process of EU accession, the National Programme for Early Childhood Development, and other important policies. In addition, given the adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), MICS has developed into a tool that, through a single survey, can provide data for up to 40 SDG indicators.

Individual data collected at all stages of this research are considered official secrets by all participants. The data will be used solely for statistical processing and will be published only in aggregated form, by demographic and economic categories, in accordance with the law.

All data collected are used exclusively for statistical purposes and are treated as strictly confidential.

More information on MICS can be found on the websites of SORS and UNICEF.