GSS World Statistics Week 2025

Join the United Nations’ official World Statistics Day event: Around the World in 24 Hours (online)

This event is open to all, and is led by the United Nations official World Statistics Day team. Details are available on their dedicated World Statistics Day webpages.

2:05pm until 3pm – The good, the bad and the misleading: how to communicate statistics without falling into bear traps

Statistics can be powerful tools for storytelling—bringing clarity, credibility, and impact to your communications. But when used poorly, they can confuse, mislead, or even undermine your message. So how do we make sure our stats support the story, rather than become the story?

Join the Department for Business and Trade for a lively and practical session where three expert voices will share real-world examples—some brilliant, some cautionary – on how to use statistics effectively in communications:
• Ben Cropper, Director of Analysis, Department for Business and Trade
• Laura Dolphin, Director of Communications, Department for Business and Trade
• Joseph O’Leary, Training Manager, Full Fact
Expect sharp insights, honest reflections, and plenty of tips you can take away. There’ll also be time to quiz the panel and share your own examples—good, bad, or ugly.

Sign up on Microsoft Forms.

3pm until 4pm – GSS Regional event: Wales and Bristol Analyst Network (WABAN) Cardiff Networking (in person)

This session will celebrate World Statistics Day by offering the opportunity to meet colleagues from across the GSS based in Wales and Bristol. The session will include a brief introduction to the Wales and Bristol Analyst Network, followed by a chance to chat and find out what other statisticians work on. Sign up using the Microsoft Form – spaces are limited, so do so at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

10am until 11am – Connecting with users: StatsUserNetwork (online)

The Office for National Statistics welcome you to explore user engagement strategies and tour the recently revitalised StatsUserNetwork.

Sign up for the session using the Microsoft Form.

1pm until 2pm – AI and the statistician: complement, complete or replace? (online)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) welcome you to this session exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for analysis.

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

With the rise of Large Language Models and “Artificial Intelligence” in our workplaces, how much can AI do our work for us? In this session, we will:

• attempt to use a sample dataset and ask the basic version of Microsoft’s CoPilot to help us analyse it
• evaluate whether it does a good job, whether it misses key elements of analysis, and the quality of the produced code (SAS)
• collaboratively send prompts to the AI in real time and run the resulting code – aiming for a warts and all evaluation, or alternatively finding that it can actually do a good job!

Speaker: Stuart Grant, Long-term Model Development Team Leader, DWP.

2pm until 2:45pm – Using data to build global supply chain intelligence (online)

Discover how the Global Supply Chain Intelligence Programme (GSCIP) is transforming decision-making across HMG.  In this session, the Department for Business and Trade will showcase their latest use of data science, AI, and innovation, combining commercial and HMRC datasets, to deliver measurable impact, enhance supply chain risk insights, and drive smarter policy through world-class intelligence capabilities.

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

2pm until 3pm – Meet the Manchester Analyst Community (online)

The Manchester Analyst Community invite you to join them as they introduce their local analyst network. Learn about their recent successes, local events, and how you can get involved. This session is also a great opportunity to network with fellow analysts and build connections across government.

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

4pm until 5pm – Connecting the dots: the benefit of linking data on health and wealth (online)

Part of the Bringing data to life series.

On its own, health data enables us to create statistics on how long people might live, where there is health inequality, or about people’s access to private and public healthcare systems. But when the ONS links health with non-health data too—such as earnings and social security, it can provide rich insights. This ONS webinar will explain data linkage and which datasets are being used for this research. They will also be joined by a guest speaker from Endometriosis UK, who will share how linked data helps to understand the economic impacts of endometriosis on people’s lives. This session is open to all – no prior knowledge needed.

Register to attend on Eventbrite.

10am until 11:30am – How can the mode of survey data collection affect research findings? An introduction to survey mode effects (online)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and University College London (UCL) invite you to explore survey mode effects.

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

Many surveys have been transitioning from a single mode of data collection (e.g. an in-person interview) to a mixed-mode data collection (e.g. offering either an in-person interview or a web survey). Although this can bring certain benefits such as reduced costs, it can also introduce unintended consequences. In particular, participants may respond differently to the same question depending on the mode used. This phenomenon, termed a “mode effect”, can introduce bias in substantive conclusions. This webinar will:

• introduce and define mode effects, when they are likely to occur, how they might lead to bias, and discuss potential strategies to reducing their impacts
• use directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to aid illustration of the main concepts
• discuss an article examining mode effects in a real-world survey together (journal-club style)
• answer questions that you raise

Speakers: Leo Gada, Senior Mathematical Modeller at UKHSA, Georgia Tomova, Research Fellow in Statistics and Quantitative Social Science, and Liam Wright, Lecturer in Statistics and Survey Methodology at the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at UCL.

1pm until 2:15pm – GSS Community Call: Setting Standards for Success (online)

This World Statistics Week special Community Call will focus on how we can set standards for quality and success together. The Deputy Heads of the GSS will answer a range of questions from attendees in a panel session, followed by presentations on harmonised standards and AI for statistics. Invites will be circulated with the full agenda by Heads of Profession in early October.

If you have not received the invite from your HoP, please sign up using the Microsoft Form.

4pm until 5pm – Defining and measuring the digital economy (online)

Measuring the digital economy is challenging due to the need to identify industries, such as AI and cyber security, that are not yet categorised within standard classifications, whilst also maintaining harmonisation with the UK statistical system.

This presentation will provide an overview of the work done by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to revise our conceptual framework and statistical implementation of the digital economy definition.  It will also discuss how the team will transition from a pilot study produced by contractors, to integrating advanced data science techniques into regular in-house statistics production.

Sign up using the Microsoft Form.

10am until 11am – Writing about data: improving the impact of your communication (online)

The Presentation Champions Network invite you to this GSS World Statistics Week session, which explores how we can improve our impact when writing about data.

The session will include an overview of the network and their guidance, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and discuss how we can improve the impact of data communication across the GSS.

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

12pm until 12:50pm – Change as a constant for statisticians  (online)

Join Building Digital UK for a lively panel session exploring the transformation of government statistics – from the days of limited print runs to today’s interactive dashboards. Hear from experienced statisticians from ONS, DHSC and HMRC as they share stories from their careers. Together, we’ll explore how government statisticians have been at the cutting edge of innovation for decades.

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

2pm until 3pm – Statistics for the Global Good – a refreshed five-year international strategy for the GSS (online)

An introduction to the refreshed GSS international strategy and plans for its implementation. This session by the UK Statistics Authority will showcase some of the leading case studies from within the GSS international strategy strategy, highlighting how the GSS  will continue to build, lead and influence to help shape the global statistical agenda.

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

2pm until 3pm – Connecting analysts, sharing insight: a Midlands Analyst showcase (online)

Celebrate World Statistics Week with a fast paced session spotlighting the statistical work of government analysts across the Midlands. Hear how local teams are using data and statistics to shape policy, improve services, and drive regional impact. Hosted by the Midlands Analysts Network, this showcase is a chance to:

• discover opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing across the regional analytical community
• explore the diverse departments and roles of statisticians and analysts working across the Midlands
• learn about upcoming events, initiatives, and opportunities from the Midlands Analysts Network and how you can get involved

Sign up on the Microsoft Form to connect, collaborate and strengthen the analytical community across the Midlands.

3pm until 4pm – Meet the GSS Champion Networks (online)

This session offers the opportunity to learn more about the GSS Champion Networks’ impact, to meet members, and to ask questions.

GSS Champion Networks cover a range of topics and include members across government, contributing to improving the way that statistics are produced, applied and communicated.

Sign up for the session on Microsoft Forms.

10am until 10:45am – Challenges in managing and communicating Immigration Statistics (online)

Home Office invite you to learn about challenges in managing and communicating immigration statistics. In the session, Francesca Allerton (Asylum and Safe & Legal Statistics, Home Office) will discuss and answer questions about how Home Office manage the challenges they face relating to:

•  putting immigration data into context and tackling misconceptions
•  balancing transparency, quality and timeliness in response to the high demand for data

Sign up on the Microsoft Form.

With the increased focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is a relevant time to reflect on the potential uses and challenges of AI. We encourage you to meet and discuss the traditional methods that you rely on most, and how AI might support or undermine the productivity and quality of your work.

The way that you approach this task is open to your interpretation – get together, get talking, and get back to us with your thoughts! There will be an opportunity to share your thoughts in writing at the conference on 4 November, both in-person and online – once collected, we’ll share them more widely for cross-GSS consideration.

Some questions to get you started:

• Which traditional methods do you use most often?
• Are there any key benefits or challenges with each method?
• What can AI do for you now?
• How are you using AI in your work? What is it good at, and what does it struggle with?
• How does AI compare to your traditional method?
• What might you be able to leverage AI for in the future?
• What skills would you need to develop? Would AI need to develop to enable the use you have in mind?
• Are there any traditional methods that we should never use AI for?
• What do we need to be careful of? For example: ethics, data security, misrepresentation

Challenge sessions are available both in-person and online to facilitate shared discussions and networking around this challenge.

Join one of our collaborative challenge sessions to make new connections across government departments. Sign up for your local session on our Microsoft Form.

Tuesday 21 October

11am until 12pm: London

Colleagues based in Marsham Street are welcome to join this in-person session.

1:30pm until 2:30pm: Birmingham

Colleagues able to access the Stephenson Street building are welcome to join this session.

4pm until 5pm: Manchester

Colleagues based in Heron House are welcome to join this in-person session.

Wednesday 22 October

3pm until 4pm: Newport

All colleagues who are able to access the Newport ONS office are welcome to join this in-person session.

Thursday 23 October

11am until 12pm: Online

All GSS colleagues who are unable to access an in-person event are welcome to join the online session.

We welcome your support to set up further in-person sessions

If your location is not available and you would like to volunteer to open a room, please contact GSSNet@statistics.gov.uk. We are currently seeking a contact for Darlington Economic Campus.

We welcome blogs all year from members of the GSS. On GSS World Statistics Week, we’d love to share as many as possible to showcase the collective power of statistics across government.

We’re interested in a range of blogs, whether you’re focusing on your career journey, your motivation to work with statistics, or a project that you’re proud of. Submit your blog for World Statistics Week by Wednesday 8 October to GSSNet@statistics.gov.uk.

Guidance for your submission

• Blogs which tell a story and have a friendly, professional tone gain the most views. You may wish to consider subheadings to support the reader’s journey.
• Avoid acronyms and technical jargon. If you are using these, explain them the first time you include them.
• Use plain English: the reading age we aim to meet is around 9, which is the national average.
• Our maximum word count is 1000 and our minimum is 500.
• Please include your name, job title, a short biography (1-2 sentences), and a jpg profile image with your draft, for the author spot.

We will support you throughout the editorial process once you submit a draft.