New stats assist government decision making

The country’s 162 most important statistics will help the Government deliver on its priorities of a better public service and building a more competitive and productive economy, Statistics Minister Maurice Williamson says.

Mr Williamson is welcoming the announcement of a new tier 1 statistics list, developed by Statistics New Zealand and other government agencies and advisory committees.

“The tier 1 list is designed to ensure the most important statistics are available to inform critical-decision-making affecting New Zealand. It includes key economic measures such as employment and inflation, and a range of environmental, population, social and cultural statistics.”

The previous tier 1 list had been in place since 2005.

Mr Williamson says New Zealand has changed a lot in that time so it’s critical our statistics change to meet new information needs.

“For example, we know that good information about the regional economy will be incredibly useful in Canterbury as the rebuild continues. That is one of the new measures included in the revised list.”

Mr Williamson says the Better Public Services Programme is about creating a public sector that can respond more effectively to the needs and expectations of New Zealanders.

“Part of delivering that programme is measuring progress and ensuring we are meeting our targets. The revised list provides new measures that will specifically allow us to make those assessments.”

Tier 1 statistics are produced by a wide range of government agencies. The revised list has been broadened and balanced to better reflect the wider range of government and public concerns, and address statistical gaps identified by the producers and users of statistics.

The list, available at www.statisphere.govt.nz, will be reviewed on a five-yearly cycle to ensure it maintains its relevance while continuing as an enduring resource providing comparable data over time.