Abstract

This presentation explores a hypothetical—but increasingly relevant—question: What if we were to start producing official statistics today? What would a statistical system look like if designed today, grounded in digital realities, participatory data, and public value?
In the Nordic countries, administrative data has served as the backbone of statistical production for over 50 years. This model has delivered efficiency and coherence, but it has also created institutional path dependencies and assumptions about data availability, access, and relevance. While many Nordic systems have evolved and adapted to digital environments, they were not initially designed for them. Countries building systems today face a different reality—and a unique opportunity.
Freed from legacy constraints, these countries can leapfrog outdated models by designing agile, interoperable, and user-centred systems from the outset. This presentation explores three core challenges when building a statistical system for a digital society:
1. Designing for Digital Societies – Creating modular, interoperable statistical infrastructures that utilise open standards and digital-first principles without depending on traditional registers.
2. Collecting Data with Trust and Inclusion – Developing hybrid, participatory, and socially legitimate methods, such as mobile phone surveys, community-led enumeration, and digital trace data, that reflect diverse levels of digital access, institutional trust, and social visibility.
3. Embedding Statistics in Governance - Structuring systems to inform public services, eGovernment design, and digital citizenship ensures that statistics are integral to modern governance rather than peripheral. Estonia, for example, demonstrates how integrated data and service platforms can strengthen digital infrastructure and public trust.
Digital citizenship and eGovernment are not parallel concerns; they are co-dependent. Digital citizenship presumes access to services and that those services are equitable, relevant, and informed by data representing all citizens. In turn, eGovernment platforms depend on high-quality, inclusive statistics to function responsibly and transparently. When both are aligned, the result is better governance and deeper democratic participation.
Ultimately, the impact of a statistical system is not measured solely by its outputs—it depends on how well it is designed, how inclusively it collects data, and how effectively it is integrated into the governance structures it supports. Countries starting from scratch have the unique opportunity to get this right by design.