Guide to United Nations Statistics
THE UNITED NATIONS STATISTICS DIVISION can best be navigated through the categorization of
the committee into three programs: Economic Statistics, Demographic & Social Statistics, and
Environmental & Energy Statistics.
Economic Statistics
The Economic Statistics Program of the United Nations Statistical Division includes: Economic
and Social Statistical Classification, Environmental Accounting, Industry Statistics, National
Accounts, and Trade Statistics. The Knowledge Base on Economic Statistics website provides
the methods and country practices for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of economic
statistics and macroeconomic standards. Downloadable publications like Global Consultations
on Guidelines on Integrated Economic Statistics (PDF) provide case studies and other practical
materials related to the application economic statistics.
UNSD. “Industry Statistics.”
The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) gathers and supplies statistical information on
the production of industrial commodities primarily through national statistical offices. The data
is categorized according to the UN List of Industrial Products and published in three major
publications: the Industrial Commodity Statistics Yearbook; the United Nations Statistics
Yearbook; the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics.
Source and Data: Industrial Commodity Statistics and General Industrial Statistics
Standards and Methods: International Recommendations for Industrial Statistics (IRIS) 2008
(PDF)
Knowledge sharing: Country practices for the collection and calculation of Index of Industrial
Production (PDF)
FAOSTAT provides time-series and cross sectional data relating to food and agriculture for
some 200 countries.
According to the FAO, the CountrySTAT “supports analysis, informed policy-making and
monitoring with the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.” CountrySTAT provides
nations with databases, graphs, maps, and statistics to support policy-makers and analysts.
UNSD. “ Environmental-Economic Accounting.”
Focuses its activities on the methodology, the coordination of the activities in the development
and standardization of methodologies and active collaboration to expand existing and new
projects with other international organizations, countries, NGO’s and academia.
Source and Data: Brochure on Environmental Economic Accounting (PDF)
Standards and Methods: Handbook of National Accounting: Integrated Environmental and
Economic Accounting 2003 (PDF) and International Recommendations for Water Statistics
(IRWS) (PDF)
Knowledge sharing: SEEA News and Events and Meeting and Workshops
International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS)
Source and Data: Database
Standards and Methods: Concepts and Methods and National Practices
Knowledge sharing: International Cooperation and Workshops (IMTS)
Statistics Trade in Services Section (SITS)
Source and Data: UN Service Trade
Standards and Methods: Manual on Statistics on International Trade in Services 2010 (PDF)
Knowledge sharing: International cooperation and workshops click here
Tourism Statistics
Source and Data: International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (PDF)
Standards and Methods: Concepts and Methods and National Practices
Knowledge sharing: International cooperation and workshops click here
UNSD. “National Accounts.”
Contributes to the international coordinated development and updating of the System of
National Accounts (SNA); and undertakes methodological research on issues on the research
agenda of the SNA in collaboration with the Intersecretariat Working Group on National
Accounts (ISWGNA). Collects and disseminates annual national accounts statistics from
countries.
Demographic and Social Statistics
The Demographic and Social Statistics Program of the United Nations Statistical Division
covers the following categories in Demographic and Social Concerns: social security and
welfare, economic activity, allocation of time and time use, learning, and educations, size and
structure of the population, health, distribution of income.
Source and Data: 2010 Worlds Population and Housing Census Programme and Social and
Demographic Surveys
Standards and Methods: Principles and Recommendations (PDF) and Guidelines and Manuals
(PDF) Knowledge Sharing: Census Knowledge Base
Environment & Energy Statistics Section
Environmental Statistics
The Environmental Statistics Section of the United Nations is responsible for publishing “the
latest research and developments in ecological economics and ecological statistics,” according to
the UNSD. In addition, the Environmental Statistics section aids national statistical offices in the
data collection, technical support, and development of methodologies.
Source and Data: Report to the 34th session of the Statistical Commission on environment
statistics Database
Standards and Methods: A Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics, Concepts
and Methods of Environment Statistics: Human Settlements Statistics? A Technical Report
Knowledge sharing: Technical cooperation through international/regional/sub-regional training
workshops and projects click here
Energy Statistics
Collection and dissemination of international energy statistics, including basic data as well as
aggregated tables, energy balances and electricity profiles; methodological work; technical cooperation and coordination
Source and Data: Energy Statistics Yearbook and Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles
Standards and Methods: Guiding principles for the preparation of IRES
Knowledge Sharing: Meeting and Workshops
UNESCO’S INSTITUTE FOR STATISTICS
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is a source for internationally comparable statistics on
education, science and technology, culture, and communication for more than 200 countries
and territories.
Education
The UIS database provides statistics on all education levels and addresses key policy issues such
as gender, teachers, and finances.
Literacy
The UIS is responsible for monitoring international literacy targets associated with Education for
All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Literacy statistics are considered
the standard for benchmarking progress globally and are featured in diverse reports, such as the
EFA Global Monitoring Report, the World Development Indicators and the Human
Development Report.
Science and Technology
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) partners with statistical organizations, such as Eurostat,
Red Iberoamericana de Indicadores de Ciencia y Tecnología (RICYT), and the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to collect global perspectives on science and
technology.
Culture
The UIS framework for cultural statistics was designed to help countries to create their own
surveys to track the flows of their cultural goods and services.
Communication
The UIS media survey provides a global perspective on print, broadcast, and digital media. The
Institute has also developed a new survey to monitor trends in the educational use of information
and communication technologies (ICT).
Their work in this field entails close collaboration with UNESCO’s Communication and
Information Sector, experts, national statisticians and other statistical agencies.
MULTIMEDIA
Online multimedia
Cheung, Paul, “The Gateway to Global Statistics.” You Tube video, posted by the United
Nations Statistics on Dec. 21 2010.
The video features Paul Cheung, Director of the United Nations Statistics Division, and the
Division’s staff. The video provides an overview of the functions, goals, structure, and products
of the UNSD. (Link)
UN Statistics Channel on YouTube
This YouTube channel features dozens of videos on various aspects of UN statistics, such as
measuring GDP and development indicators.
Audio Interviews: Understanding United Nations Statistics
Sudhir Anand (Research Director of Global Equity Initiative at the Harvard University),
interviewed by Emma Carron and Elliott Rosenbaum, April 15, 2011, Cambridge, MA.
The use of econometric and regression analysis in research papers; the importance of correctly
understanding predictors; and the use of multiple sources in cross-country analysis.
Stefan Schweinfest (Assistant Director at United Nations Statistical Division) interviewed by
Emma Carron, April 20, 2011, Cambridge, MA.
Setting standards and guidelines in data collection and dissemination.
Stefan Schweinfest (Assistant Director at United Nations Statistical Division) interviewed by
Emma Carron, April 20, 2011, Cambridge, MA.
Stefan Schweinfest explains the agencies that are responsible for collecting and reporting the
data to the United Nations.
PUBLICATIONS
UNITED NATIONS STATISTICAL DIVISION: Most Recent Publications
Designing Household Survey Samples: Practical Guidelines, Series: F, No.98
International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Supplement to the Compilers Manual, Series: F,
No.87/Add.1
Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework 2008, Series: F,
No.80/Rev.1
Handbook on Geospatial Infrastructure in Support of Census Activities, Series: F, No.103
International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008, Series: M, No.83/Rev.1
International Recommendations for Industrial Statistics 2008, Series: M, No.90
Handbook on Population and Housing Census Editing, Series: F, No.82/Rev. 1
Measuring the Economically Active in Population Censuses: A Handbook, Series: F, No.102
Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework
2008, Series: F, No.80/Rev.1
2008 International Trade Statistics Yearbook, Vol. Vol and I. II, Series: G, No.57
Data are provided for a ten-year period and for approximately 200 countries and territories.
Demographic Yearbook 2008, Series: R, No.39
The yearbook provides material on demographics, including population size and distribution,
fertility, general mortality, and divorce.
National Accounts Statistics: Main Aggregates and Detailed Tables, 2008 Part I, Part II, Part III
and IV, Series: X, No.43
This supplies statistics on national accounts aggregates and variables including GDP, national
income, saving, household and government consumption expenditure, exports and imports.
Monthly Bulletin of Statistics
It contains 55 tables with over 100 indicators, of monthly, quarterly and annual data on economic
trends and developments, including population, industrial production indices, price indices,
employment and earnings, energy, manufacturing, transport, construction, international
merchandise trade, finance and national accounts.
WHO Statistics
This presents the most recent health statistics for the WHO’s 193 member states.
For more publication by the United Nations Statistics Division, click here.
THE HISTORY OF STATISTICS
For a selection of academic works on the historical development of statistics, see:
Anders Hald, A History of Mathematical Statistics from 1750 to 1930 (Wiley, 1998).
Timothy Mitchell, “Fixing the Economy,” Cultural Sudies 12 (1998): 82-101.
Stephen Stigler, The History of Statistics: The Measurement of Uncertainty before 1900
(Harvard University Press, 1986).
Stephen Stigler, Statistics on the Table: The History of Statistical Concepts and Methods
(Harvard University Press, 1999).
Adam Tooze, “Imagining National Economies: National and International Economic Statistics,
1900-1950,” in Geoffrey Cubitt, ed., Imagining Nations (Manchester University Press; St.
Martin’s, 1998).
Adam Tooze, Statistics and the German State, 1900-1945: The Making of Modern Economic
Knowledge (Cambridge University Press, 2001).