Statistics is a branch of mathematics. It involves gathering data, summarising it and deciding what it means.
But statistics are also the numbers that result from this work, and that is what we produce at the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In fact, we are the largest independent producer of official statistics in the UK.
Data and statistics are not the same. Data refers to the information that is processed and analysed to create statistics.
What statistics do we produce at the ONS?
We produce statistics that help us understand the UK's economy and society, and the population of England and Wales. This includes statistics about:
business, industry and trade
inflation and the prices of products
investment and pensions
people in and out of work
what jobs people do and how much they earn
births, deaths and marriages
education
health and social care
the age and sex of the population
housing
well-being
This list is just a small example of the topics our statistics cover.
Who uses the statistics we publish and how do they use them?
Organisations use our statistics to make important decisions that affect us all.
For example, local government use the information to help plan services, such as schools, healthcare and rubbish collection. Businesses use our statistics to decide where to establish themselves, which can create job opportunities.
Charities also use our data and statistics to help target their support and help get the funding they need.
Individuals use our statistics too. For example, parents use our statistics about baby names to choose a name for their baby.
In some cases, we are asked to provide statistics in response to important issues. This helps to inform major decisions, such as during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
No one can be identified from the statistics we publish.
Publishing statistics for the public good
We are a part of the UK Statistics Authority. The Authority's mission is to produce high-quality data and analysis to inform the UK, improve lives and build the future.
Part of this is a promise to publish statistics "for the public good".
This means that the insights they give will allow people to make better-informed decisions. These decisions can help to benefit society, such as the amount of housing we need and the numbers of school and college places.
As producers of official statistics, we also need to follow the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Learn more about the different kinds of data we collect and use to produce statistics on our What are data? and What are admin data and linked data? pages.