Summary
The next three years represent a watershed time for the UK statistical system. Demand for timely, trustworthy and high-quality statistics has never been greater, while public confidence in official figures, and in public institutions more generally, faces clear threats.
Statistics should serve everyone, helping enhance knowledge about every section of society and the economy, and people’s place within them. However, they must do so in today’s challenging environment, where fears about misinformation prosper. Moreover, after a challenging period, the UK’s biggest producer of statistics, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), is focusing on implementing a recovery plan in the face of ongoing issues with the quality of some of its economic statistics.
In this climate, the need for a credible and rigorous Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) is not just significant – it is essential. As the UK’s statistics regulator, we help ensure that statistics serve the public good as public assets that provide insights to, and shape actions by, a wide range of users in society (not just government).
OSR’s response must therefore be confident and firm: we will provide assurance to users and the public on the Trustworthiness, Quality and Value of public statistics; and we will continue to defend and promote the role of statistics in this environment.
Our 2026-29 strategy sets out, with clarity and candour, how OSR will rise to this challenge, regulating fairly but firmly to restore confidence, drive systemic improvement and defend the public good. The new Code of Practice represents a significant opportunity to support confidence in public statistics. The new Code is clearer, more direct, more user-focused and more supportive of analysts.
Strategic Themes Overview
For 2026–2029, OSR will focus on four strategic themes:
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Credible and Rigorous Regulator
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System Catalyst
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Public Use of Statistics
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Enhance Our Own Trustworthiness, Quality and Value
Theme 1: Credible and Rigorous Regulator
We want to continue to be a credible and rigorous regulator. By “rigorous”, we mean that we will form robust, clear and well-communicated judgements on compliance with the Code. We commit to:
- deliver timely, evidence-based reviews of compliance with the Code
- work with statistical producers to identify key statistics that we have not reviewed in some time
- set and enforce clear deadlines for producers to take any necessary actions
- strengthen transparency by following up and reporting publicly on progress against our requirement
Theme 2: System Catalyst
Across the UK’s statistical system, there are significant systemic opportunities and risks. As a catalyst, we will continue our supportive approach to engaging with producers, and through this, set the agenda for system-wide improvement, demanding openness, responsiveness and innovation. We commit to:
- monitor and share good practices, and support producers to make improvements rapidly when risks are systemic
- advocate and support adherence to the Code, making it the backbone of good statistical production
- encourage curiosity and adaptability to counter rigidity and complacency
- support innovation and the adoption of new tools, data sources and methods, including AI, through practical, direct guidance
Theme 3: Public Use of Statistics
OSR will continue to be visible in defending the appropriate use of statistics in public debate. We will reinforce expectations of good information use and intervene firmly in cases of misleading or inappropriate use of statistics. OSR’s voice will be clear: statistics must serve the public good. We commit to:
- promote the Standards for the Public Use of Statistics, Data and Wider Analysis as universal expectations for publicly communicating statistics
- continue to intervene decisively statistics are misused or misleading and respond to concerns raised with us empathetically
- build strategic partnerships with organisations that support the transparency and integrity evidence, analysis and science
- conduct research and publish findings on how statistics serve the public good
- advocate for intelligent transparency across government and public discourse
Theme 4: Enhance Our Own Trustworthiness, Quality and Value
OSR must exemplify the standards that we demand of others. We will demonstrate leadership, transparency and accountability internally, maintaining our independence and strengthening our capability and processes. We will be open about our own areas for improvement and firm in strengthening them. Our outputs will be tailored, accessible and visible, and we will use feedback to measure and enhance our impact. We will not just hold others to account; we will be accountable ourselves, setting a public example of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value. We commit to:
- embed independence, transparency and integrity across all our operations
- invest in staff capability and foster a culture of continuous quality improvement
- improve the accessibility and clarity of outputs for all audiences
- strengthen our processes through peer review, external challenge and feedback loops
- deliver training and maintain a central catalogue of guidance and learning materials
- report publicly on our impact and progress