What is the UK statistical system?

The UK statistical system is underpinned by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (the Act), which led to the creation of the UK Statistics Authority (the Authority) and specified specific roles and requirements that make the system what it is today. 

The system includes those who collect, produce, disseminate, regulate and use official statistics, alongside central bodies that set strategic direction. It is made up of four main bodies: 

• The UK Statistics Authority is the central body responsible for setting strategic direction and oversight of the statistical system. Its aim is to promote and safeguard the production of statistics that serve the public good.  
• The Government Statistical Service (GSS) is the community of all those involved in the collection, production and communication of official statistics. It is made up of 50 bodies with different policy and statistical priorities which act together to have impact. Its membership includes over 12,000 government professionals, including statisticians, data scientists, researchers, economists, policy experts and more. 
• The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is an executive office of the Authority and the largest producer of official statistics in the UK. As the UK’s national statistical institute, it is responsible for producing a wide range of economic, social and population statistics, crucial for understanding and informing decisions on the economy and society. 
• The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) is the regulatory arm of the Authority. It maintains the Code of Practice for Statistics and assesses official statistics’ compliance against it. OSR reports on system-wide issues and on how statistics are used, celebrating when the standards of the Code are upheld and challenging publicly when they are not. 

Official statistics: production and regulation 

Official statistics are statistics produced by Crown bodies and other organisations listed within an Official Statistics Order, on behalf of the UK Government or any of the devolved administrations. Most official statistics are produced by statisticians operating under the GSS, working in either ONS (the largest producer of official statistics in the UK); UK Government departments and agencies; or one of the three devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 

Official statistics are regulated by OSR, the regulatory arm of the Authority. Accredited official statistics (called ‘National Statistics’ in the Act) are official statistics that have been independently reviewed by OSR and confirmed to comply with the standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.  

Leadership and governance 

The Authority reports directly to legislatures across the UK and has several committees to support its statutory functions. The Authority Board (the Board) sets the strategic direction and oversight of the statistical system. The Board is headed by a non-executive Chair, at least five more non-executive members and three executive members, the latter of which presently are: 

• the National Statistician – who is the Chief Executive of the Authority and Head of the GSS and Government Analysis Function (this position is temporarily vacant) 
• the Permanent Secretary of ONS – the role of which was introduced following the separation of the National Statistician and Permanent Secretary role after the Independent Review by Sir Robert Devereux KCB
• the Director General for Regulation – who is the head of OSR 

Every public body with a significant GSS presence (in terms of statisticians involved in the production or use of official statistics) has its own Head of Profession for Statistics, and each of the three devolved administrations has its own Chief Statistician. The Heads of Profession and their staff in each organisation are accountable to the National Statistician, acting in their capacity as the Head of the GSS. 

The Concordat on Statistics is an agreement between the UK Statistics Authority, the UK Government and the devolved administrations which sets out a framework for co-operation in relation to UK statistics production, standards and the profession. 

Beyond government

Official statistics are for the public, and not only the Government. The users of official statistics play a key role in the statistical system; it is only through regular dialogue between producers and users that the system can ensure official statistics remain responsive to their needs. Users also have a key role in providing challenge to the system, and producers have a responsibility to seek views and respond to them.

The statistical system is also influenced by a wider statistics and data ecosystem including private organisations (such as academic researchers and data companies), intermediaries (those who connect producers with users), professional bodies and international statistical organisations. 

To learn more, read the Guide to the UK Statistical System on OSR’s website.