What we know from engaging with the public on data: January 2025

At the Office for National Statistics (ONS) we collect, store, process and use data to produce statistics. National and local government, charities, community groups, businesses and individuals use these statistics to make informed decisions on important issues that affect us all. This could include everything from healthcare and school places to environmental issues.

We can only do this effectively with the public's support, involvement and trust. That is why it is important we understand public attitudes to data and behave ethically and transparently. It is also vital that we engage regularly with people on data and test their acceptability of different approaches.

This page summarises what we know about public attitudes, concerns and expectations around the use of data, as well as their views on our use of administrative data in producing statistics. It draws upon a range of sources from the ONS and beyond, referencing several research reports that explore attitudes towards statistical organisations, administrative data and data linkage.

Our research into understanding people's attitudes to data forms part of a wider programme at the ONS. This work includes engagement with users of our data and the public more broadly. It also supports our aim to ensure our statistics represent everyone in society.

People's level of knowledge and understanding of how data are used by statistical organisations varies. That is why we have produced some helpful short videos to explain more about how we keep data safe and secure.

You can watch the Office for National Statistics (ONS) guide to data and other videos on our YouTube playlist. They answer some of the questions people have about data, including:

• what are data and how we use them to create statistics

• data de-identification, and how personal data that could identify you is kept safe and secure

• admin and linked data, which explains how we use data from different sources

• ONS statistics and why they matter

The link between an individual sharing data and the organisation using the data is not always immediately obvious, particularly for administrative data. Administrative data are made up of information that people share when they access public services such as the tax, benefits, health and education systems. You can find out more in our What are admin data and linked data? article.

The World Economic Forum published Data for Common Purpose (PDF, 5.08MB) in 2021. The paper demonstrated that a lack of awareness of data generation and collection among citizens leads to a sense of apathy, which can turn into discomfort and distrust. Some members of the public have come to believe that the organisations asking for data are benefitting more from the exchange than they are, which further perpetuates that distrust. When citizens feel more in control these feelings tend to shift towards a sense of empowerment.

The World Economic Forum created a Digital Trust Framework, based on the following four important attributes: 

• accountability 

• data protection 

• individual understanding 

• individual control 

The Digital Trust Framework aims to foster individuals' trust in data exchanges, as an important element of their comfort with the process.

Any organisation that collects and uses people's data needs the trust of the public to do so effectively. The public's views on data and their attitudes towards sharing personal data are complex, with subtle differences that depend on many individual and environmental factors.

Trust in data sharing

When people share personal information, they consider factors such as: 

• the immediate value, for example, increased convenience or access to services 

• what they will gain from sharing their personal information 

• the reputation of the organisation requesting their data 

• what type of data an organisation is requesting 

• how the organisation will use their data 

• who else will have access to their data 

• how their data are kept anonymous and secure 

• what else organisations will use their data for

The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) report on public sector data sharing (2020) stated that public trust and consent are integral to the "long-term sustainability of data-sharing activity". The report states that substantial parts of the population lack trust in the competency or intentions of the organisations using the public's data. The report identifies several features of the "tenuous trust" that people appear to have in the ways that their data are being used by those organisations.

These include: 

• ambiguous value 

• high security procedures not being consistently applied 

• accountability being limited, as there is no universal approach to addressing the ethics of data sharing 

• limited transparency 

• a lack of control over how data are used and shared

People are more accepting of sharing their data when they learn and understand that no one can be identified in published statistics, and that individual data are combined. Technical terms for those processes, such as "aggregated", "anonymised" and "de-identified", can be confusing to people and raise further questions if they are not explained properly.

The CDEI conducted a three-wave tracker survey between 2021 to 2023 on Public Attitudes to Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which measured how attitudes changed over time. In wave one, people reported feelings of uncertainty towards data use and collection, and expressed concerns surrounding security and accountability, similar to the findings from CDEI's 2020 report. The security concerns continued in wave two in 2022 and wave three in 2023, potentially because of increased negative stories about data breaches in the media, which many participants recalled seeing.

However, the public increasingly believe that organisations are being held to account for the misuse of data, indicating a growing confidence in accountability procedures. It will be interesting to see if this positive shift in views becomes a trend over time.

Interviews conducted during wave three also revealed an overall positive shift in the public's beliefs about data use since wave two. One statistically significant increase between 2022 and 2023 was in perceptions of data being useful in creating products and services beneficial to the person sharing their data. Wave three saw a 4% increase in positive views, from 53% in wave two to 57%.

People want to know who controls the data that they share. In 2020, the Living with Data organisation conducted a review (PDF, 8.50MB) on public understanding of data practices. The review aimed to understand people's perceptions of how data about them are collected, analysed, shared and used, and how these processes could be improved. It found that the people who took part felt the locus of control over their data was more important than types of data, uses and beneficiaries.

In addition to this desire for control, there is significant concern surrounding the security of data shared with an organisation, and how it is secured within an organisation itself. This same review found that many people were reluctant to share data without an absolute guarantee of privacy and security. This is an important consideration for administrative data if it is to be shared and used for different purposes.

Focus group research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2023 showed the importance of conveying certain important messages to increase understanding and provide reassurance to the public, particularly in relation to data sharing. This includes reassurance around the robustness of security procedures surrounding data management and the value and benefits to the individual and society of sharing data.

The focus group research also found that participants had increased comfort with organisations they trusted and felt familiar with, especially when it came to their data security practices. An organisation's reputation and data collection intentions can significantly affect a person's willingness to share data with them.

Our ONS Data Debate 2023 asked young people aged 18 to 24 years about their thoughts on sharing data. It found that they saw governmental organisations as "trustworthy enough" to look after people's data and use it to inform service improvements.

Types of data

People's attitudes to sharing data depend on the types of data and how it will be used. Parents, for example, can be particularly sensitive about sharing data about children, and those with long-term health conditions sensitive about sharing health data.

In 2023, the ONS commissioned Thinks Insight and Strategy to conduct qualitative research on "Attitudes to data sharing". The research found that people are more accepting of sharing their information when there is a clear benefit, such as sharing health data to improve health services. However, this acceptance is dependent on not being individually identifiable.

With financial data, the benefits of sharing are not as immediately clear, particularly around credit and debit transactions, where people perceive risks to be higher. This is because it feels more personal, and they are concerned that their data are being collected without their consent.

Wave three of the CDEI's Public Attitudes to Data and AI (2023) asked respondents what they saw as the greatest opportunities for data-driven improvements and the most important issues facing the country.

The priority issues that respondents said could be improved with the use of data were:

• health services (21%) 

• the cost of living (18%) 

• the economy (8%) 

The results indicate the public's confidence in the ability of data to improve lives in some areas. However, only 5% of respondents showed confidence in the use of data for improvements in crime management, and 3% for housing, education, and inequality respectively. 

Considerations and perceived benefits of sharing data

While it can be more common for people to be concerned about sharing certain types of data than it is for them to consider the benefits of doing so, there are areas where the value of sharing data resonates with the public.

Thinks Insight and Strategy's "Attitudes to data sharing" report found that people often see the benefits of sharing data as being transactional and more focused on the individual. The two main reasons for this were gaining and keeping access to services, and increased convenience.

Unprompted examples given of organisations that people tend to share data with included retailers, government, and financial providers. Use of real-life examples was found to be a positive way of engaging people on the value of sharing data and highlighting the benefits to their local community.

The public increasingly recognises that sharing data has the potential to benefit both individuals and wider society. However, there is some debate surrounding the definition of "public good" when providing this as a reason for using data to produce statistics.

Research by Administrative Data Research UK (2022) (PDF, 9.59MB) established that people generally understand "the public" to mean "the majority of people". It also defined "the greatest good" as "the greatest number of needs being met at once". Some felt that the good use of statistics should apply to parts of society that have the greatest need.

Others believed that we could interpret "public" as referring to people in the future and improving the lives of future generations through sharing their data. People collectively agreed that the use of data for the public good should apply to real-world scenarios, such as addressing inequalities in society and avoiding research that encourages these inequalities.

A real-life example of data being used for the public good involved a community council using census data to demonstrate the need for a new, accessible roundabout in their village playpark. The data helped them secure a grant by showing the potential number of users for the roundabout. Our website shares more examples of how organisations use our statistics to make important decisions that affect us all.

Additional evidence supporting the notion that people are happy to share data when there are direct benefits or some level of value exchange is presented in wave two of the CDEI Public Attitudes to Data and AI tracker survey, 2022. Eighty-three percent of respondents expressed that they would be comfortable sharing personal information with the NHS, so that they can deliver new treatments.

Administrative Data Research UK's review of previous literature, Trust, Security and Public Interest: Striking the Balance (PDF, 609KB), showed that 60% of people who had taken part in medical research felt that it was their duty to allow the use of their personal health information. They felt that this would aid the process of medical research, but they would only allow it if they could give consent. 

Public concerns about sharing data

The main public concerns we have identified include:

• the security of data

• types of data

• the reputation and transparency of an organisation

• what an organisation stands to gain from sharing someone's information

Unsurprisingly, the sensitivity of data can fuel concerns about misuse and fear of identification. As previously mentioned, parents are particularly concerned about the data of their children, because in part to their safety being at risk.

Concerns can also dominate people's minds if there is no tangible benefit attached to them sharing information. People are typically more reluctant to do this if no value exchange is presented.

Awareness of the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

According to the Public Confidence in Official Statistics (PCOS) report carried out by the National Centre for Social Research in 2023, awareness of the ONS is high, with three-quarters of respondents having heard of us. This is consistent with the 2021 survey. The survey also revealed that 90% of respondents agreed that the statistics the ONS produces are important to understanding our country, which is also consistent with the results from 2021.

Trust in the ONS

The level of trust an individual holds in an organisation is a critical factor in their decision to share personal information. The PCOS (2023) report stated that trust in the ONS remains high (87%) compared with 2021. ONS had the highest level of reported trust of all institutions included in this question, similar to levels of trust in the courts (82%) or Bank of England (79%).
Trust in the ONS's use of administrative data depends on us being open and honest about:

• the organisations we source data from 

• the types of data that we use 

• the reasons why we want these data

• how we will use these data 

• our data collection and storage policies and procedures

• the specific benefits to individuals, communities, and society, as a result of organisations using our statistics

According to Thinks Insight and Strategy's 2023 report "Attitudes to data sharing", people need to be confident in the purpose of the data they have been asked to share, and the value that these data have. To be able to do this, they rely on being given clear examples of how their data helps to produce statistics that can benefit all communities.

Trust in the ONS's statistics

The results of the PCOS (2023) survey showed that 85% of respondents said that they trusted ONS's statistics. Most respondents (72%) agreed that our statistics were free from political interference. However, there were continued concerns about how the government and the media present statistics. Only 32% of respondents agreed that the government present statistics honestly and 25% agreed that the newspapers present statistics honestly.

The ONS statistics are impartial and produced independently of ministers to serve the public good. Increasing understanding of this impartiality appears to influence trust, and is an important strength in our role as an official producer of statistics.

Although overall levels of public trust in the statistics we produce are high, some audience groups report lower levels of trust. These include groups who have limited or no access to the internet, those from certain ethnic groups, or those that identify with certain religions. The ONS has a responsibility to ensure that as many people as possible are aware of, and have access to, the statistics that we produce. This gives the public the opportunity to better understand how their data are used.

Feedback given to us from community outreach engagement and focus groups underlines the need to focus our work on issues that people care about, such as quality of life. There is also a view that the way we present data can positively support public debate. For example, considering how ONS's data can shine a light on the cost of living and how it affects groups of people in different ways.

In 2023, we met with 40 people aged 18 to 24 years at our Data Debate event to find out their views on data sharing. The event indicated that people's backgrounds are linked to how they feel about data. Results from focus groups revealed that they can identify benefits to data sharing, namely increased convenience, and improvement to services. They think data sharing is necessary for being part of society, and they would struggle to access basic aspects of life without it.

We have seen positive attitudes among those who understand how statistics positively affect wider society; for example, some university graduates who have interacted with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) throughout their studies. On the other hand, seldom-heard population groups, such as people with long-term health conditions and those from ethnic minority backgrounds, have expressed higher concern about sharing data (Thinks Insight and Strategy, 2023).

The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) Public Attitudes to Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) survey wave three detailed its findings. It reported that younger people and those from higher socio-economic backgrounds were more likely to recognise the benefits of data use than older people and those in lower socio-economic groups. This applied to both the individual-level and societal-level benefits.

The Public Confidence in Official Statistics (PCOS) 2023 survey revealed that respondents' attitudes towards official statistics significantly improved as their level of education and understanding increased. Those educated to degree level or above were the most likely to trust the ONS as an organisation (93%) and the statistics we produce (92%).

On the other hand, respondents with no educational qualifications were the least likely to trust the ONS as an organisation (68%) and the statistics we produce (70%). Also, those who use statistics tend to hold more positive attitudes towards statistics than non-users. These are important insights to inform ONS communications and engagement activity.

Overall, people's views and opinions in the UK on data remain consistent across the sources we have considered, though it is evident that views evolve as they are affected by environmental factors and public debate. For example, where data played a vital role in understanding the situation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this helped to increase people's awareness of the positive role of statistics.  

People's improved understanding of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) means that they are more aware of security measures in place. This increased awareness may have a positive effect on people's attitudes and behaviours to sharing data.

In contrast, while people may have seen statistics about the cost of living, they reported frustration that they cannot necessarily make any link between the availability of statistics and responding interventions that support economic improvement. 

As technology develops, sharing data has become easier than ever. The Office for National Statistics's (ONS) Data Debate focus groups with people aged 18 to 24 years indicated that this age group tend not to question or spend time worrying about data sharing. They cannot see what difference it would make to share just that little bit more, as so much is already out there.

A potential theme is emerging around the need for designated "custodians" of data. People have said that they want the organisations that use data to be accountable for its benefits, including keeping their data safe and secure, and providing evidence of the "public good" that their data held can offer. They want these organisations to invest time and effort into sharing examples of the positive effects these data have on them and their communities.

This insight summary highlights how important it is for organisations that use data to engage with the public. To maintain public trust, they need to share information about how their data are used and for what purpose.

At the Office for National Statistics (ONS), we will continue to communicate and seek people's views on how we use data to produce official statistics. It remains important to share the benefits of doing so, and how this can positively affect all our lives.

This insight supports our aim to create an inclusive environment; one of trust that allows and encourages everyone to be counted and represented in UK data and statistics. Find out more about how these views are already contributing to how we engage with the public on data.