Introduction

Drawing on our work as the UK’s statistics regulator, this report sets out our annual view of how the UK statistical system is operating. It brings together evidence from across our regulatory work over the past year to consider the system as a whole, rather than individual statistics in isolation.  

This year’s report is written in the context of continued pressure on the statistical system. Over the past year, the system has faced leadership transition, ongoing challenges to data quality, difficulties with survey response rates and increasing pressure on resources and capacity. These pressures affect multiple parts of the system and are closely connected. The report highlights areas where producers have improved their statistics and adapted to new demands. It also shows examples of producers being open about quality concerns and delivery pressures affecting their statistics. 

The UK’s statistical system includes those who collect, produce, disseminate and regulate official statistics, alongside central bodies that set its strategic direction. We want this report to support continuing collaboration across the UK statistical system, and to help producers, leaders and users understand the main system-level issues, risks and priorities facing it.  

Our view of the system is informed by the full range of our regulatory work. This includes assessments and compliance reviews against the Code of Practice for Statistics, casework on the use and misuse of statistics, our system-wide regulatory work, and our wider engagement with statistics producers, users and other stakeholders. These strands of work help us identify broader patterns, risks and issues across the statistical system. The report does not aim to cover all statistical activity across the UK. Its focus is on the system-level issues, patterns and risks that emerge through our regulatory work, while also recognising areas of strength as well as challenge.

The report is structured in four main sections. Together, they provide an overall view of how well the statistical system is functioning. 

• Statistical system leadership and direction looks at how decisions are being taken and priorities managed across the system, with a focus on leadership transition, co-ordination and collaboration, and resourcing and prioritisation. 

• Quality and resilience of statistics considers the reliability and sustainability of key statistics, with a focus on economic statistics, surveys, statistics that measure the population and accreditation trends. 

• Public confidence and use of statistics examines how statistics are communicated, understood and used, with a focus on supporting appropriate use, challenging misuse, public involvement and engagement, and progress following the inaugural Statistics Assembly. 

• Innovation and regulatory evolution looks at how the system is adapting to new opportunities and expectations, with a focus on artificial intelligence, innovation and system capacity, and implementation of the revised Code of Practice for Statistics. 

Our recommendations focus on the areas where we consider clearer system leadership is needed. Most are directed to the National Statistician once appointed, because the role provides leadership across the GSS and the wider statistical system. There is currently no National Statistician in post. Some actions will therefore need to be taken forward once the substantive appointment has been made. We recommend that these are addressed within 6 months of the National Statistician being appointed.