Public Use of Statistics

What we did

We aim to champion the public use of statistics, standing up for the appropriate use of statistics in the public domain and forming partnerships with actors who support the integrity of evidence. Our goal is to ensure statistics are communicated in line with the Standards for the Public Use of Statistics, Data and Wider Analysis.

Through our casework function, we promote, monitor and safeguard official statistics, and challenge their misuse. In 2025/26, we considered 167 cases. Cases took a mean of 30 days to close, with a median closure time of 22 days. Our annual casework report for 2024/25 highlights several key themes for casework this year.

OSR’s interventions deliver tangible impact. For example, in October 2025, we intervened on public commentary on comparisons between England and Scotland’s water industry regulation. Our intervention received coverage in several media outlets and was cited in parliamentary discussion.

We have supported the adoption of the new Standards for Public Use across different government professions and the wider public sector. The standards set out how statistics, data and wider analysis should be communicated by public bodies in the public domain, based on the concept of intelligent transparency.

Our research function delivered a report on trust in official statistics, which provides a conceptual analysis of trust, examines levels of trust in various actors and objects, and draws conclusions and recommendations about building trust in official statistics. The report also includes original research on what might increase trust in official statistics.

Case examples

Intelligent Transparency and the Standards for the Public Use of Statistics, Data and Wider Analysis

In November 2025, following the launch of Code 3.0, we published our Intelligent transparency: 2025 review. We found that while there has been good progress embedding intelligent transparency within ministerial departments and devolved governments of the UK, intelligent transparency is still not the default approach. To change this, and improve compliance with the Standards for Public Use, we made six recommendations including improving the citation of sources when figures are used in public communications, making public commitments to intelligent transparency, embedding and promoting guidance and training across government professions and within Number 10, and preventing and promptly addressing misuse.

Since the review we have received had multiple letters voicing support for and commitment to the Standards for Public Use from ministerial departments and devolved governments. Significant steps have also been taken to embed and promote the Standards for Public Use in Number 10, including new training for special advisors and the introduction of a new Chief Analyst role within Number 10.

2026 Elections

In May 2026, elections to the Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) and local election in England were held. In preparation, a dedicated webpage was developed to bring together our new and existing guidance to help users navigate statistical claims surrounding an election and to support those working with statistics in upholding the Code of Practice for Statistics. The webpage includes our updated series of election explainer statements (15 in total) on topics including health, the economy and migration. These draw on our experience of investigating the use of statistics in public debate and have been refreshed to reflect issues particularly relevant to Scotland and Wales. By the end of the elections on 7 May, our election pages had collectively been viewed more than 1,800 times.

During the pre-election period we published a Statement on Understanding NHS planned care waiting times statistics across the UK to address widespread misuse of these statistics, which was picked up and drawn on by several media outlets; secured a correction to a statistic relating to greenhouse gas emissions in the SNP manifesto; and wrote to several parties privately about their use of statistics in leaflets and or public discourse. All our interventions during the pre-election period were underpinned by our interventions policy, which guides our work on making statements on the use of statistics in public debate.

Testimonials