At the 2026 ESCoE Conference on Economic Measurement, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) led a session on how unofficial data can shed light on local economic performance. In this blog, Ed Humpherson, Director General of OSR, and Jonathan Price, Expert Adviser for Economic Statistics, consider its associated opportunities and risks. Why local insight matters […]
Public debate about crime statistics often starts with a headline claim: crime is up, crime is down, one type of offence is rising, another is falling. Such claims need to be tested against the evidence. Sometimes headline claims can be misleading and misrepresent the statistical evidence. For example, OSR recently examined the headline claim that […]
Our latest update on migration statistics welcomes a series of recent improvements in ONS’s measurement of this important set of numbers. But focusing on the short-term gains obscures a much bigger picture of progress. The Code of Practice for Statistics encourages the innovation and improvement of methods. The story of migration statistics over the last […]
Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), Ed Humpherson, recently spoke at the “Independence of Official Statistics International Conference” hosted by the French Statistics Authority in Paris, exploring how the work of OSR maintains public confidence in official statistics. The full transcript is below.
What can the opening lines of four landmark reviews tell us about the role of official statistics? In this blog, Ed Humpherson explores how these influential reports have framed the purpose, power and public value of statistics over time
In our latest guest blog Natalie Fleming, Analysis team leader in Workforce Intelligence at Skills for Care, talks about her experience and learning from the process of achieving accredited official statistics status for an official statistic. Natalie joined Skill for Care’s Workforce Intelligence team as a data analyst in January 2022 after working in the NHS. Skills for Care is an official statistics producer with one accredited official statistic and plans for more in future.
In this blog, Elise Rohan, Head of Casework, shines a light on the often unseen but highly impactful work of OSR’s casework function. Casework is the part of OSR’s role that investigates concerns raised about statistics from members of the public, Parliamentarians, journalists, academics and others. As she prepares to step away from the role, Elise reflects on recent private interventions and the lessons they’ve taught her about the importance of collaborative relationships.
In our latest guest blog, leading British statistician, David Spiegelhalter explores why trustworthiness—not trust—should be at the heart of statistical communication. Drawing on the influence of Baroness Onora O’Neill and reflecting on the updated Code of Practice for Statistics 3.0, he argues for intelligent transparency, honest communication, and a commitment to helping the public genuinely understand evidence. He also shares why it’s not enough for statistics to be trustworthy—they must be engaging too.
OSR Regulator for our Health domain, Sarah looks at mental health statistics across the UK, with OSR’s findings so far and what’s next for statistics across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Denise Lievesley, CBE, is a leading social statistician whose work has shaped statistical systems in the UK and internationally. As the former Director of Statistics at UNESCO, she founded the Institute for Statistics. She is also a past leader of the Royal Statistical Society and International Statistical Institute, where her influence on the field is […]