Statistics Singapore

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The Singapore Department of Statistics is the National Statistical Authority responsible for statistics on the Singapore economy and population. It is designated as the National Statistical Co-ordinator under the Statistics Act.

	Our Mission
	Performance Pledge
	Our History
	Our Key Areas of Responsibilities




	Legislation
	Career
	Contact Info
	How to Access Statistics

Performance Pledge

We pledge to maintain high service standards in meeting the data needs of local and overseas users:

Accessibility We provide a wide range of products and services which are readily accessible by the general public.	Relevance We make special efforts to improve the relevance of statistical data to meet user needs.
Reliability We benchmark ourselves against international best practices in statistical activities and adopt rigorous quality assurance standards.	Timeliness We strive for the earliest possible release of data, while balancing the need to maintain data quality.

Our History

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.

Our Key Areas of Responsibilities

As the National Statistical Authority, we:

	Collect, compile and disseminate a wide range of economic, business, household and population data
	Analyse and monitor trends of the economy and the society
	Develop and maintain national statistical databases on households, dwelling units, establishments and statistical time series
	Provide advice and consultancy services on statistical matters to government agencies and the public

As the National Statistical Coordinator, we are responsible for:

	Developing national statistical standards
	Standardizing definitions, classifications and procedures for use in statistical activities
	Promoting the observance of approved national statistical standards

Last updated: 23 Aug 2007