About

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics. We are responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society at national, regional and local levels. We also conduct the census in England and Wales every 10 years.

Data is central to the decisions which affect our lives. ONS data informs your pay rise, benefits and pension. It helps plan and decide your schools, healthcare and other services. Business and government use it to make the big decisions about our economy and society.

ONS is a public service, led and run by professionals independent of government. We treat personal data in confidence and make sense of numbers for the public good.

Data is now available from previously unimaginable sources. ONS is changing so we take advantage of the opportunities provided by big databases, mobile devices and satellites. We are using them to help the decisions you, businesses, public services and government make. We want to work with you to develop better statistics for the public good.