ONS is responsible for the production of a wide range of economic and social statistics, including:
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the UK's National Accounts (such as Gross Domestic Product, National Income and Expenditure)
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the UK Balance of Payments
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population, demography and migration
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government output and activity
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business output and activity
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prices (such as consumer and producer)
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the labour market (such as employment, unemployment and earnings)
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vital events (such as births, marriages, morbidity and deaths)
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social statistics (for example statistics about neighbourhoods and families)
ONS designs, manages and runs the Census in England and Wales and also works with the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Scotland to carry out the decennial Census of Population.
ONS also provides bespoke services for those requiring specific datasets or analysis.
Official statistics are used to:
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provide citizens with a view of society and of the work and performance of government. Statistics show the scale of government activity in every area of public policy, allowing the impact of government policies and actions to be assessed
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inform parliaments and political assemblies about the state of the nation and provide a window on the work and performance of the UK Government and devolved governments. This allows them to assess the impact of their policies over time and between different areas
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equip government and its agencies, at all levels, to carry out their business efficiently and effectively and make informed decisions based on evidence
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provide ministers with a picture of the economy and society, enabling them to formulate economic and social policies and to monitor and evaluate their delivery
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furnish businesses with a statistical service that promotes the effective and efficient functioning of industry and commerce
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assist analysts, researchers, scholars and students with their work and studies
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meet the needs of the European Union and other international bodies for international comparisons of data
