Strengthening national statistical systems is a key element of building effective, transparent, and evidence-based public institutions. As governments increasingly rely on high-quality data to inform policy decisions, international cooperation plays an important role in accelerating the adoption of innovative statistical approaches and global best practices.
As part of these efforts, from 4 to 7 June, a delegation from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, led by Chairman Maksat Turlubayev, visited the UK Office for National Statistics in London and Newport. The study visit provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge on modern statistical methods and the use of innovative data sources to support better public decision-making.
Experts from Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom discussed approaches to using mobile phone data, agricultural statistics, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) platform, and scanner data from fiscal data operators for measuring inflation and producing other official statistics based on alternative data sources. The discussions also focused on digital transformation, data integration, and the growing role of administrative and non-traditional data in strengthening national statistical systems.
During the visit, Chairman Maksat Turlubayev met with the UK’s National Statistician, Sir Ian Diamond. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued professional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and the development of long-term institutional partnerships between the two national statistical offices.
The visit was organized under the Effective Governance for Economic Development (EGED) Programme in Central Asia, funded by the UK Government, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.
By fostering collaboration between statistical institutions, the EGED Programme supports the modernization of public institutions, strengthens national capacities in official statistics, and promotes more effective, data-driven governance for sustainable economic development.
