Country Practices on National Official Statistics

Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics

Background

The notion that international endorsement of a set of principles for official statistics was necessary was born in the Conference of European Statisticians. At the end of the eighties the countries of Central Europe began to change from centrally planned economies to market-oriented democracies. A few years later the Soviet Union was dissolved. Among the many changes that these developments generated was the need for complete transformation of the national statistical systems. Part of this transformation process was about redefining the role of official statistics, as well making it clear to governments and other users of statistics that a good system of official statistics must meet certain general criteria. In order to get this message across, and to assist heads of national statistical offices to defend the position of their institutes, the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics were developed. While being adopted by the Conference of European Statisticians and its parent body the Economic Commission for Europe, statisticians in other parts of the world began to realize that these principles had a wider significance. In that context, an international discussion process was started up, ending with the adoption of the Fundamental Principles by the United Nations Statistical Commission, the highest statistical authority in the world. The United Nations Statistical Commission, in its Special Session of 11-15 April 1994, adopted the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, earlier set out in the Economic Commission for Europe's Decision C (47), but incorporating a revised preamble.

Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics