New and Improved Digital Data Services
This period saw the introduction of various digital services and greater use of digital technology to make available statistical information to a wide base of users. The SingStat Website was enhanced to improve users’ experience in navigation and to facilitate access via mobile devices, the SingStat Table Builder was launched to allow users to self-help to data tables from DOS and 60 public sector agencies, and the SingStat Mobile App was rolled-out to facilitate easy access to commonly used statistics while on-the-go.
DOS also made it more convenient for respondents to respond to business and price surveys via the Internet with secured E-Survey platforms. Mobile forms were rolled out for business surveys to facilitate the survey submission on-the-go and more self-help features were implemented in the E-Survey platforms to improve user experience.
Changes to the Statistics Act
The Statistics Act was amended to clarify DOS’s legislative power to obtain information from public sector agencies, and allow for anonymised microdata access to public agencies and their commissioned consultants.
Key Statistical Developments in the 2010s
| Year |
Activity |
| 2010 |
- Singapore’s fifth Census of Population after Independence and the fourteenth in the history of census taking, was conducted.
|
| 2010 |
- The Statistics Act was amended to clarify DOS’s legislative power to obtain information from public sector agencies and allow for anonymised microdata access to public agencies and persons specified in the Third Schedule.
|
| 2013 |
- The SingStat Website was revamped.
|
| 2013 |
- SingStat Table Builder, a web-based application, was rolled out to enable users to build customised data tables, and export the data in different file formats.
|
| 2014 |
- The SingStat Mobile App was launched to facilitate easy access to key statistics spanning 26 categories from various government agencies, and allow users to search for specific data, mix and match indicators, and visualise them easily with more
than 200 charts.
|
| 2015 |
- The First Schedule to the Statistics Act was updated to incorporate changes in economic activities to better reflect the current structure of the Singapore economy.
- Free access to over 15,000 statistical data series, especially historical time series data, was made available on the SingStat website.
- The e-survey service was enhanced to allow businesses to submit their returns on the go using mobile devices.
|
| 2018 |
- The SingStat Website was further enhanced in its latest revamp with user-friendly features and mobile responsiveness to improve users' navigation experience via all devices.
- The inclusion of Developer APIs complements the multi-table download feature in easing access to data via the SingStat Table Builder.
|
| 2019 |
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) webpage was published on SingStat Website to provide access to Singapore statistics on SDGs required for reporting and monitoring of Singapore’s progress.
- Singapore completed benchmarking of national accounts to reference year 2015 and adopted recommendations of the System of National Accounts to compile annually reweighted chain volume measures of Gross Domestic Product.
|