2.7 Who are the users of official statistics?#
Official statistics are there to be used. Conversely, statistics that are not used should not be compiled. But who are the users and what are their needs for statistics? Users of official statistics are frequently divided into several groups according to their purpose for using the statistics. The main groups are the following:
Government
This includes the policy and lawmakers in the national government and in the legislative assembly, civil servants in MDAs as well as in regional and local government. These are the largest users of the official statistics. Their main uses are for gaining knowledge of developments in the various fields of society, supporting the formulation and implementation of policies and measures as well as monitoring the actions taken to assess if and to what extent they are producing the planned results. This applies to all kinds of political planning and implementation; annual and medium-term economic planning, such as for preparing the government agenda, the central government budget; policies and planning in the social sector, for health services, education and labour market measures; and in the environment sector to lay short and medium-term plans and decide on measures and actions.
International and regional organizations
Closely related to government uses of statistics are those of international and regional organizations. Those uses are dictated by the mandates of the various organizations and the participation of the countries in international cooperation and programmes.
Businesses
Businesses are intensive users of official statistics. Their interest is planning and running their business activities in light of the observed and expected economic developments. They use official statistics to assess the economic situation and for deciding on their business plans – for “evidence-based decision making”. Similarly, trade unions and labour market organizations use official statistics for assessment purposes and planning their labour market policies.
Media
Media are important users of official statistics and one of the main channels for communicating statistical information to the various actors in society and the public at large. It is their role to report on main developments in society, assess the economic, social, and environmental situation and generally act to hold government and public and private sector players accountable for their actions.
The academic, research and education community
The academic, research and education community uses official statistics in various ways. Universities and higher-level schools use official statistics in their teaching activities. Universities and research institutions use various types of official statistics in their research. While government, businesses and media are mainly users of aggregate data and statistical indicators, more detailed information is often needed in academic and applied research, even at the most detailed level of microdata.
Non-government organizations (NGOs)
Non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil society need official statistics to gauge the need for their activities and determine where to focus their attention and services.
The public at large
The public at large has a right to be served with official statistics to be able to assess situations and developments for themselves. Of course, this group of users is the largest, the most diffused and dispersed and probably the least focused. Particularly for those reasons, it is the duty of the NSOs and other producers of official statistics to see that the needs of the public for official statistics are taken care of.