ONS

How energy efficiency data can help reduce our carbon footprint

Picture of row of terraced houses

New exploratory ONS research using Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data shows that average energy bills for existing houses in England and in Wales were estimated to be more than twice those of new houses – and only in London are the majority of new homes being built without mains gas central heating. Here Debra Prestwood puts our new analysis into context and explains why it’s important.

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Measuring the UK housing market?

Image of a house on a scales. There is a green up arrow on the left and a down arrow in red on the right of it

House prices and the state of the property market are an abiding national obsession. How much is my place worth, are prices rising around here and can I afford to buy yet? The coronavirus pandemic has made the task of collecting data about the housing and rental markets more challenging, but the ONS and others have  continued to produce figures. Here Chris Jenkins looks what they say about the state of the property market in pandemic so far.

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How does living in a more deprived area influence rates of suicide?

Every year, organisations and communities come together on World Suicide Prevention Day to raise awareness of how we can create a society where fewer people reach the point where they feel suicide is their only option. Ben Windsor-Shellard from the ONS, along with Magdalena Tomaszewska and Mette Isaksen from Samaritans, reflect on the latest suicide figures and analysis of suicide rates by local area deprivation.

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Providing the best picture of international migration

The Office for National Statistics has been transforming its international migration statistics using a range of new and existing data sources. Better use of data held across government will underpin the future of the UK’s migration statistics. Jay Lindop explains why the latest estimates will be the last to use the International Passenger Survey and why today’s figures reinforce the need to progress the move to a new system.

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What’s happened to crime during the pandemic? How ONS has responded to the measurement challenge

Early data from police forces suggest crimes recorded in England and Wales have fallen since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.  For a wider overall picture of crime most users tend to look to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.   But the suspension of face-to-face interviewing has forced the ONS to modify this large household survey. In this post Billy Gazard explains what’s changed and what you need to be aware of in interpreting our next set of crime statistics.

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