Abstract

National statistical institutes (NSIs) stepped up during the pandemic and delivered new timely statistics accessing new data sources. This traded timeliness for accuracy provided governments with valuable facts to make better policy decisions. In my view, this was helped by being prepared from a long and (according to some) slow progress moving away from direct data collections to more comfortably using secondary data sources. In parallel NSIs are transitioning to roles as not only collectors and producers of data, but also curators and providers of data for advanced policy analysis purposes. NSIs are increasingly providing platforms for safe use and analysis of microdata. My talk will focus on ways to find a balance between having cost efficient statistics production and quenching the thirst for timely data analytics. There are paradoxes and trade-offs that NSIs must acknowledge and I shall highlight some of them and outline how traditional sample surveys still have an important
role.