Office for Statistics Regulation

Better understanding the strengths and limitations of gender identity statistics

We are today sharing plans for our work to continuously improve the information available on gender identity statistics. This follows our request to reclassify our Census 2021 gender identity estimates to official statistics in development, which better reflects our developing understanding of measuring this complex and important topic. Here, Mary Gregory outlines what we are doing to support use of the existing gender identity data and our plans to review the standards for future data collection.   

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Our population is changing and so is the way we measure it

Image of people

Not only is the population changing in size and structure, the way we measure it is also changing. Mary Gregory explains what is driving population growth and the progress the Office for National Statistics is making to continually improve our population estimates so they best meet user needs.

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Working together to improve health and social care statistics

Baby visits doctor

The COVID-19 pandemic placed health and social care statistics into the headlines, encompassing a wide range of vital topics such as mortality, vaccine uptake, mental health and other health impacts. Nearly four years on from the first news reports of the ‘coronavirus’, the interest in health data and statistics has continued to grow. Julie Stanborough explains how we are working collaboratively with other data producers to improve health and social care statistics, and how you can have your say.

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Using the power of linked data to understand factors preventing people from working

Crowds of people walking through a busy street

Nearly 9 million working-age people in the UK were not working or looking for work – that is, economically inactive – from May to July 2023. This figure includes more than 2.5 million people inactive due to long-term sickness, an increase of half-a-million people since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Emma Rourke explains how linked, population-level data can improve our understanding of the interplay between health and work, with the goal of improving the wellbeing of individuals and the economy.

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