ONS

The importance of ethics and privacy in producing statistics for the public good

Categories: Data, ONS, UK Statistics Authority
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At a time of exponential growth in data of all kinds, the potential for data science to improve public services and achieve better health outcomes has never been greater. But we also have a responsibility to ensure that those data are used ethically and protect individual privacy. Starting with the UK parliament’s objective for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to produce and publish statistics for the public good, the latest episode of ‘Statistically Speaking’ explores how this is being delivered in practice, while looking at the safeguards in place to protect personal data, and the public’s changing perception of acceptable data use.

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Measuring Progress: GDP & Beyond

Categories: Data, Economy, Environment, Office for National Statistics, ONS, Public Policy, Wellbeing

The ONS mission to better inform understanding of economic, environmental and social progress more broadly than can be captured purely in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has taken another step forward. Under the banner ‘Quality of life in the UK’ we have begun publishing fresh estimates of national well-being alongside the latest monthly and quarterly estimates of GDP. Combined with the recently-added Climate Change Insights publication, this quarterly package aims to offer a more holistic view of our economic, environmental and social progress. Liz McKeown unveils the new ‘GDP& Beyond’ day and invites stats users to get involved in its continuing development.

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Transforming the way we produce population statistics

Categories: Census, migration, Office for National Statistics, ONS, Population
Picture of busy crowds in London

The census gives us a brilliant, detailed snapshot of England and Wales, but since census day the world has continued to change. People move home, change jobs, some will have left the country while others will have arrived. Reflecting these ongoing changes, Jen Woolford explains how the ONS is using a variety of data sources to provide more frequent, inclusive, and timely statistics to allow us to understand population change in local areas this year and beyond.

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