ONS: We know we need to do more to improve our data Opinion After calculation errors thwarted the publication of price indices in the spring, the ONS's James Benford explains how the institute has improved its dataset.
Official statistics have become useless Opinion The pandemic has exposed the shortcomings in how we measure everything, from inflation to GDP to jobs, says Helen Thomas Statistics haven’t quite kept pace with the world they’re meant to measure. Designed for an economy of assembly lines and cheque books, many of today’s headline figures feel increasingly out of step with a digital, [...]
Inaccurate crime rate statistics have gaslighted the British public Opinion The UK government knows very little about the people it governs. From crime rates to the labour market, this has real consequences.
Is Joe Root actually the greatest English batsman ever? July 30, 2025 Joe Root has been acclaimed as the greatest English batsman ever, but is it actually true? Paul Ormerod delves into the stats.
House prices rise at their fastest in two years March 26, 2025 New data shows that in January, house prices rose rapidly in Northern England and Yorkshire. Average UK house prices increased by 4.9 per cent to £269,000 in the 12 months to January 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This annual growth rate is up from 4.6 per cent in the 12 months [...]
Green shoots? UK retail sales beat expectations in January February 21, 2025 Brits returned to the shops in January as discount spending fueled the first monthly rise in retail sales volumes since last August. Retail sales volumes rose 1.7 per cent in January, following a fall of 0.6 per cent in December, according to the ONS. Analysts had expected growth of just 0.3 per cent. This was [...]
Lies, damned lies and statistics: Why we can’t trust numbers anymore December 17, 2024 If we are serious about reform and achieving economic growth, we must first ensure that our understanding of our country is underpinned by accurate statistics, says Ben Sweetman There are lies, damned lies and statistics, as the saying goes. But robust and reliable data is the foundation of good governance. If we are to have [...]
New labour force survey could be delayed to 2027 amid falling participation December 3, 2024 Since the pandemic, the ONS has struggled with falling response rates to its flagship labour force survey (LFS), which has raised questions over the accuracy of its data.
