The Social Sector Indicators section assesses unemployment rates, pension systems, income levels, the educational system, infant mortality, birth rates, life expectancy, divorce and suicide rates, the health care system, and poverty rates. The Nations in Transit 1999-2000 edition features several changes to previous versions of the survey, including the addition of the new section on Social Sector Indicators. Several questions addressing the participation of women in each country's political process, civil society, judicial system, and press associations were added, as were two questions on surveys of corruption and one on the enforcement of judicial decisions. Finally, a statistics page was inserted directly before each country report, which includes various economic, social, and political data for the country, as well as scores from past and current Freedom in the World and Nations in Transit surveys. For example, membership figures for trade unions and civic associations are frequently unreliable.
Corruption is difficult to assess using directly verifiable data or statistics.
Instead, observers must gauge the perception of corruption in a country based on anecdotal reports from ordinary citizens, businessmen, and others. Economic statistics should be treated with caution. In Nations in Transit many of the countries surveyed, the administrative capacity for accurate measurement of economic development is inadequate. The country reports were researched and written by Freedom House staff members, outside consultants, and regional think tanks. Consultants were generally specialists at the Ph.D. level who were recommended by recognized authorities on their respective regions.