The Department of Statistics’ logo finds anchor in its vision and mission, and projects its ideals, aspirations and progressive stance.

The arrows are shaped like the boundaries of Singapore to signify the Department’s role as the national statistical office. It underscores the key role that it plays in supporting the nation’s social and economic development. The arrows, which also form the shape of an eye, symbolise the Department’s primary responsibility of analysing and monitoring key social and economic trends in Singapore. The bold yet fluid illustration of the arrows projects a sense of mobility and forward thinking, while the multi-colours represent the diverse range of statistical data that the Department compiles for different users across various sectors of the economy. The bright colours also represent professionalism, vibrancy and dynamism, in line with our vision.

A gradient effect has been applied to symbolise movement and energy. It also highlights the insights and perspectives that the Department provides in supporting the future development of Singapore. The strategic combination of the different elements embodies the philosophy of an innovative and forward-looking Department in constant pursuit of excellence in product and service quality.

Official statistics in Singapore date back to 1871 when the first census of population was taken. Since then, censuses had been taken regularly at ten-year intervals. The Census Ordinance of 1880 constituted the first statistical legislation for Singapore.

A legal framework for the collection, preparation and publication of official statistics was put in place only in 1921 with the enactment of the Statistics Ordinance. The Statistics Ordinance provided for the establishment of a Statistical Bureau. The Bureau has developed and grown to become the Singapore Department of Statistics today.

The Singapore Department of Statistics is the central statistical authority responsible for official statistics on the Singapore economy and population. Before Singapore achieved self-government in 1959, the Department compiled almost all the statistical series. The focus was on external trade, shipping and cargo statistics and basic demographic data. The statistical activities expanded rapidly in the 1960s to cover manufacturing, commerce and service statistics.

Since 1973, a decentralised statistical system has been adopted. Official statistics are collected and compiled by the Singapore Department of Statistics as well as Research and Statistics Units (RSUs) in various government ministries and statutory boards. The RSUs specialise in statistics on key areas under the purview of their parent organisations.