Handbook on Management and Organization of National Statistical Systems
Handbook Update (version 2025/A)
May 2025
The Handbook has been redesigned to make it easier to read, navigate, and keep up to date. As part of this update, a new Chapter 5 on national data ecosystems and governance has been introduced to provide NSOs with strategic guidance on engagement with different data stakeholders and governance. Click below to browse the new Handbook.
Browse the HandbookThe Handbook on Management and Organization of National Statistical Systems, the 4th edition of a series of publications on the management of statistical organizations, was endorsed by the 52nd session of the UNSC in March 2021 as a non-prescriptive compendium targeting chief statisticians, senior managers, and staff members of statistical organizations. The Handbook provides guidance on how to develop and maintain national statistical capacity that is fit for purpose and apprises critical issues and topics, including the integration of innovative data sources and technologies in the production of statistics and indicators. To remain relevant in a rapidly changing data ecosystem, the Handbook has been designed as a "living document" to be regularly updated and revised under the guidance of an Advisory Group composed of national and international chief and senior statisticians.
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For your convenience, a PDF version of the Handbook is provided below for those who prefer to read or print a copy offline. Please note that the PDF is generated from the online version, so there may be slight differences in formatting or layout. The online Handbook is always the most up-to-date and accurate version, so if you notice any discrepancies, please refer to it as the official source.
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Arabic Translation
The Arabic translation below was conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS), and the UN Economic Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Please note that these chapter translations are not to be considered equivalent to the official versions of the Handbook in English and are based on a previous version of the Handbook (version 2022/A).
Download Chapters 1 - 16 in Arabic