It is a great time to be a statistician! As members of the International Statistical Institute, we know this, but evidently so does the world. This is evidenced by a range of global and national public events.
The United Nations World Statistics Day is celebrated every five years on 20 October. This event “aims to show that good data and statistics are indispensable for informed decision-making by all actors in society”. The theme for the 2020 observance was “Connecting the World with Data We Can Trust”. This ambition is as relevant – and as challenging – now as it was then. All statisticians are charged with advancing this cause.
For more information about World Statistics Day, you can visit:
- General Information
- 2020 Event Summary
- An outline of “why the United Nations cares about statistics”. Read the transcript of Mr. Sha Zukang's opening speech from the 2010 event.
Details about the United Nations World Statistics Day 2025 celebration are forthcoming.
Another important event is the United Nations World Forum, scheduled to take place in Colombia in November 2024. The Forum commenced in 2017 with 2,000 people and now attracts over 20,000 interested stakeholders. The aim of the Forum is to “spur data innovation, nurture partnerships, mobilise high-level political and financial support for data, and build a pathway to better data for sustainable development.” For more details, visit the UN Data Forum website.
The International Data Week (IDW) is another significant event in the global statistics calendar. The IDW is organised by the Committee on Data (CODATA) and the World Data System (WDS) of the International Science Council (ISC) and the Research Data Alliance (RDA). The IDW has been held every two years since 2016. The next IDW will be in Brisbane, Australia, in October 2025 with the theme, “Data for Positive Change: Empowering Communities and Advancing Research”. Come join us down under! For more information, visit International Data Week 2025.
An exemplar global statistics event is our own ISI World Statistics Congress. These meetings commenced in 1887! The upcoming 65th World Statistics Congress will be held in The Hague from 5 to 9 October 2025.
This event promises an exciting and diverse programme designed to inspire and connect statistics professionals from around the globe. Attendees can look forward to over 200 scientific sessions and enlightening keynote speeches from esteemed speakers. There will also be hands-on learning opportunities through our short courses, along with valuable networking chances to connect with peers, build relationships, and foster collaborations. We will celebrate the remarkable achievements of outstanding individuals in the field during our awards ceremony, and our social gatherings are set to strengthen our community while celebrating our shared passion for statistics. For more information, visit ISI World Statistics Congress 2025 website. Have you registered for the ISI World Statistics Congress 2025 yet? If not, please do so. Early bird registration closes on 12 May 2025.
According to the United Nations, over 100 out of the 195 countries in the world celebrate a National Statistics Day. While this is excellent news on the one hand, it does mean that some countries are not as well represented. Moreover, despite having such a day, many members of the public (and even the government!) remain unaware of the critical importance of statistics at all levels and in all fields, and the tremendous opportunities that statisticians engender for businesses, governments, and communities by wrangling data. This is even more important given how heavily our world is breathing at present. Critical national elections, major conflicts and displacements, climate change, pandemics and many other issues make the work of statistics and statisticians critical. The world needs to hear our voice.
As stated on the International Statistical Institute website, “the public voices of statisticians are critical for societal advancement and improvement. The International Statistical Institute is committed to providing unbiased perspectives from statisticians worldwide. The newly established ISI Public Voice Consortium enables all ISI members to be part of this endeavour, to advance the ISI’s strategic goal to increase the visibility and influence of statisticians in society by amplifying the voices of our profession and promoting the value of statistics to the wider community.”
As a key initiative under the ISI’s Public Voice Committee, the Consortium operates through four dedicated working groups. Each group focuses on engaging the statistical community and increasing public awareness of the importance of statistics. The Wikipedia Project Group focuses on creating and maintaining pages for renowned statisticians, enhancing their visibility, and highlighting their contributions to global knowledge. The YouTube Statistical Channel Group produces video content that supports statistical education and practice, aiming to make knowledge more accessible through visual media. The Blog & Article Project Group enriches the ISI's blog by providing expert insights on current events from a statistical perspective. Meanwhile, the ISI Regional Webinars Group organises webinars that address regional statistical challenges while also contributing to broader global discussions.
Recent and Upcoming Webinars:
- Major issues facing Australasia: What are the important issues facing Australasia relating to Statistics and Data Science?
- The global role of statisticians 2023: What does 2023 hold for statisticians around the world?
- Focus on Africa: Part of the ISI-IAOS conference in Zambia, themed “Better Lives 2030: Mobilising the power of data for Africa”.
- The global voice of Statistics – Voices from the USA
- Statistics for the Public Good hosted by South America, moderated by Denise Silva.
We encourage ISI members at all career stages and from diverse backgrounds to become part of the Public Voice Consortium. Your participation will help amplify the global voice of statisticians and shape our collective impact. To get involved, email us at [email protected] or sign up through the webform. For more details, visit our Public Voice page. We look forward to your contributions.
