Demographic and Social Statistics

Social and demographic statistics have traditionally evolved within thematic silos such as health, education, gender, migration, and work. This has limited their interoperability and their ability to support cross-sectoral analysis and inform policymaking. To address this, the United Nations Statistical Commission established the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics (FOCG-SD) in 2022 to review existing practices and provide guidance on how to modernize social and demographic statistics in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and beyond 2030.

The United Nations Statistics Division and Statistics Canada are jointly organizing a technical workshop in Ottawa, Canada, from 9 to 11 September 2025, aimed at shaping an integrated and forward-looking statistical system that fosters more effective, inclusive, and evidence-based policymaking. The workshop will focus on strengthening countries' capacities to produce social and demographic statistics that more accurately reflect complex societal issues and their interlinkages with the economy and the environment.

• Workshop report

• Day 1, 9 September 2025
• Opening Session
  • Ms. Josee Begin, Assistant Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada
  • Ms. Francesca Grum, Assistant Director and Chief of Branch, United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
  • Co-Chairs of the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics (FOCG-SD):
  • Ms. Inga Masiulaityte-Sukevic, Deputy Director General, Statistics Lithuania, and
  • Mr. Jose Arturo Blancas, Vice President, National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico
• Introduction  
  • Ms. Iliana Vaca Trigo, Statistician, UNSD  
• Session 1: Overview of the Central Framework of the System of Population and Social Statistics (CF-SPSS)
• Chair:
• Ms. Francesca Grum, Assistant Director and Chief of Branch, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Mr. Edwin Horlings, Senior Scientific Researcher, Statistics Netherlands   pdf
• Ms Kari Wolanski, Special Advisor, Assistant Chief Statistician's Office, Statistics Canada   pdf
• Discussant:
• Mr. Richard Heys, Director and Chief Economist (Acting), Office for National Statistics, United Kingdom
• Session 2: Main Foundations
• Chair:
• Ms. Iliana Vaca Trigo, Statistician, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Mr. Xavier Mancero, Chief, Social Statistics Unit, ECLAC   pdf
• Mr. Hiroaki Ogawa, Statistician, UNSD   pdf
• Discussant:
• Ms. Josee Begin, Assistant Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada
• Day 2, 10 September 2025
• Session 3: Population
• Chair:
• Ms. Francesca Grum, Assistant Director and Chief of Branch, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Ms. Inga Masiulaityte-Suke, Deputy Director General, Statistics Lithuania; Mr. Federico Segui, Director, Coordination and International Relations Division, National Institute of Statistics (INE), Uruguay   pdf
• Discussant:
• Mr. Mauricio Rodriguez, Head, Sociodemographic Statistics Unit, INEGI, Mexico
• Session 4: Places and time
• Chair:
• Ms. Iliana Vaca Trigo, Statistician, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Mr. Edward Morgan, Senior Scientific Researcher, Statistics Netherlands   pdf
• Mr. Mauricio Rodriguez, Head, Sociodemographic Statistics Unit, INEGI, Mexico   pdf
• Mr. Federico Segui, Director, Coordination and International Relations Division, INE, Uruguay   pdf
• Discussant:
• Mr. Ali Said, Director, Population and Labor Statistics, BPS Indonesia
• Session 5: Country Practices and Potential Use Cases
• Chair:
• Mr. Hiroaki Ogawa, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Mr. Parwoto, Senior Statistician on Population and Migration Statistics, BPS Indonesia   pdf
• Mr. Craig Joyce, Acting Chief, Quality of Life, Centre for Social Data Development and Insights, Statistics Canada   pdf
• Mr. Federico Segui, Director, Coordination and International Relations Division, INE, Uruguay   pdf
• Mr. Edwin Horlings, Senior Scientific Researcher, Statistics Netherlands   pdf
• Ms. Bouchra Bouzani, Head, Social Statistics, High Commission for Planning (HCP), Morocco   pdf
• Day 3, 11 September 2025
• Session 6: Social Outcomes - Doings and Beings
• Chair:
• Ms. Francesca Grum, Assistant Director and Chief of Branch, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Mr. Edwin Horlings, Senior Scientific Researcher, Statistics Netherlands   pdf
• Ms. Kari Wolanski, Special Advisor, Assistant Chief Statistician's Office, Statistics Canada   pdf
• Ms. Iliana Vaca Trigo, Statistician, UNSD   pdf
• Discussant:
• Ms. Romina Boarini, Director, Centre on Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)   pdf
• Mr. Federico Segui, Director, Coordination and International Relations Division, INE, Uruguay   pdf
• Session 7: Relationships
• Chair:
• Ms. Iliana Vaca Trigo, Statistician, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Ms. Serena O'Brien, Unit Head, Quality of Life, Centre for Social Data Development and Insights, Statistics Canada   pdf
• Ms. Bouchra Bouzani, Head, Social Statistics, HCP, Morocco   pdf
• Discussant:
• Ms. Romina Boarini, Director, WISE, OECD   pdf
• Session 8: Strategic Recommendations related to the CF-SPSS
• Chair:
• Ms. Francesca Grum, Assistant Director and Chief of Branch, UNSD
• Speakers:
• Mr. Jose Arturo Blancas, Vice President, INEGI, Mexico  
• Mr. Eric Rodriguez, Director, Technical Analysis and Planning, INEGI, Mexico   pdf
• Ms. Inga Masiulaityte-Sukevic, Deputy Director General, Statistics Lithuania  
• Session 9: Summary and Ways Forward
• Ms. Francesca Grum, Assistant Director and Chief of Branch, UNSD   pdf
• Ms. Josee Begin, Assistant Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada
• Closing Session
• Mr. Andre Loranger, Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada
• Ms. Francesca Grum, Assistant Director and Chief of Branch, UNSD