Abstract

People rely on statistics to gain important information. Statistical information has an impact on the state governance, the creation of internal and external policies, business world and decisions that affect the lives of individuals.

In the business world, statistics can be useful for tracking trends, and maximizing productivity. But sometimes statistics can be presented in a misleading way. The people come across misleading statistics examples in many different areas of life. You can find examples in the news, in advertising, in politics, and even in science. The digital revolution has contributed to creating an environment that enables the rapid proliferation of disinformation.

Fake news, false facts, misleading statistics, disinformation – these are all terms we come across when facing discussions concerning false presenting information. NSO should change in order to meet the challenges we face because of the proliferation of false facts. NSO should emphasize their advantages such as strong legal and ethical frameworks in which they operate, exceptional methodological standards and top human resources, which can strengthen their position as a reliable and factually based source of information, and they should do this through active and targeted communication. Another thing that they can do is to ensure that stat data are communicated and interpreted correctly by the wider public by increasing statistical literacy especially of key stakeholders such as members of the media, civil society associations, educational and health institutions, and members of the scientific and academic community.

Official statisticians must ensure that their statistics are readily accessible and easy to interpret by publishing on platforms that allow access to data for independent inquiries, audits, and research and also by preparing descriptive statistics or statistical summaries that summarize the raw data and make it easier for users to analyse a dataset.