National Statistical

To compare how different economies have been impacted by the pandemic, it’s important to understand how different countries measure the output of their public services. So far, the complexity of this topic has made accurate comparisons challenging. Laura Caldwell talks about how the ONS has been working with our colleagues in the OECD to get to the bottom of the issue. 

How do you count a whole nation in a day or track the spread of a pandemic?  These and other big topics are on the agenda as ONS launches its new monthly podcast: Statistically Speaking 

Statistically Speaking hears from the people behind the numbers and takes a deep dive into the inner workings of ONS and the latest hot topics from the world of data. 

As part of our drive to ensure UK statistics reflect the experiences of everyone in society, we have today published a detailed plan on how we will collectively improve the inclusivity of UK data and evidence so that no one is left behind.  Debra Prestwood describes some of the improvements we can expect to see in the coming months. 

The recent rise in UK inflation has focused much attention on this important metric. But the headline inflation rate is, of course, only an average figure and doesn’t necessarily reflect the price changes experienced by different people. In this post Mike Hardie explains the challenges of measuring everyone’s cost of living – and how some important new enhancements will provide a clearer picture in future.