Standards for Official Statistics
For official statistics producers
The Standards for Official Statistics describe the standards and practices that those producing official statistics must meet.
The Standards for Official Statistics are grounded in the core concepts of the Code of Practice – Trustworthiness, Quality and Value – and build on the Guiding Principles from the Code.
Good-practice guidance for each standard is available within the Code Hub.
Official statistics become accredited official statistics when they have been verified by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) to meet these standards. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and are required under the Act to continually meet the standards of the Code.
To ensure official statistics serve the public good:
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- Producers must behave with integrity, working and communicating in ethical, honest, objective and professional ways
- Chief Statisticians/Heads of Profession for Statistics must have autonomy in deciding statistical methods and the content and timing of statistical releases
- Producers must release statistics in an orderly way, at a standard time, and pre-announce the date and timing of the release
- Producers must manage data and statistics safely and securely and encourage the provision of information by being open about how it will be used and protected
- Chief Statisticians/Heads of Profession for Statistics must encourage a quality culture that promotes good practice and ensure their statistics will not materially mislead users
- Producers must use suitable data sources and sound methods, and assure the quality of the statistics across the production and release processes, being open to innovate to keep statistics relevant and useful
- Producers must prominently explain the quality of the statistics, including any strengths and limitations, and communicate the uncertainty in the estimates
- Producers must put users at the centre of decision making about the statistics, listening to and acting on feedback, and be transparent about statistical planning
- Producers must ensure the statistics are accessible and freely available to all
- Producers must clearly present the statistics to support appropriate interpretation, collaborating with other producers and experts to develop fuller insight for key topics