Governing-by-the-Numbers / Statistical Governance: Reflections on the Future of Ofcial Statistics in a Digital and Globalised Society

Abstract

The growing importance of statistical evidence, data and information for political decisions is reflected in the handy and popular formulation ’Data for Policy’ (D4P). Under this cover, well-known guiding themes, such as the modernisation of the public sector, or evidence-informed policy-making, are led to new solutions with new technologies and infnitely rich data sources. Data for Policy means more to ofcial statistics than just new data, techniques and methods. It is not least a matter of securing an important function and position for ofcial statistics in the Policy for Data of the future. In order to justify this position, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the tasks of ofcial statistics for the functioning of (democratic) societies, with a view to how these tasks have to be reinterpreted under changing conditions (above all because of digitisation and globalisation).