11.1 Introduction

Dissemination is the phase in statistical processing in which data collected and compiled by statistical agencies are released to the public. It is defined in the Guidance on modernising statistical legislation (🔗), UNECE (2018) as: ‘. the activity of making official statistics, statistical analyses, statistical services and metadata accessible to users’. The dissemination and use of its statistics that contribute to understanding and better decision-making should be considered the main objective of a national statistical system.

‘Only statistics that are used are useful statistics’, Petteri Baer (🔗)

As stated in the first UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (UNFPOS), ‘official statistics… are to be compiled and made available on an impartial basis by official statistical agencies to honour citizens’ entitlement to public information’. These principles underline that official statistics are a public good, that access to statistical data should be provided simultaneously to all users, and that the means of access to and dissemination of statistical data take into account the convenience of users and their needs.

Official statistics should be sufficiently comprehensive and presented in such a way with appropriate metadata so that data can be understood without having specialised statistical knowledge. According to UNFPOS 3, “To facilitate a correct interpretation of the data, the statistical agencies are to present information according to scientific standards on the sources, methods and procedures of the statistics”.

In recent years, the environment in which official statistics operate has changed significantly. There has been an explosion, not only in the volume of data available but also in the demand for it. This has increased the pressure on NSOs to produce more and better data and to improve its accessibility. To ensure that data users get what they need and to provide benchmark data and forecasts on achieving SDG targets and other reporting requirements, NSOs need new and diversified ways of disseminating statistical information.

How users consume statistical products has changed. In order to stay relevant, NSOs have reacted to this by adapting their dissemination and reaching out to users directly, often by using social media as a part of their dissemination strategy. In today’s world, it is not enough to make statistical information available; it is also necessary to give it an edge in a highly competitive data environment. At the same time, NSOs have to make data accessible to better meet demand, while employing innovative technological solutions through various channels to make this process more efficient.

The topics concerning dissemination and communication discussed in this chapter are relevant and applicable to other producers of official statistics throughout the national statistical system (NSS). The NSO can play a leading role in promoting dissemination standards and coordinating efforts for an integrated and interoperable data dissemination platform for the whole national statistical system. This should be based around an exchange standard such as the Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) format (see Chapter 15.4.5 — Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX)), facilitating a more efficient and timely flow of data from line ministries to the NSO.