Office for National Statistics (ONS) plans to reduce the volume of its published health, crime and regional development statistics by roughly 10 % in 2026 in a bid to sharpen its focus on core economic data.
In a statement on Wednesday, ONS management explained that the move is part of a broader recovery strategy designed to repair the reputation and reliability of the agency’s headline statistics, which have been undermined by repeated errors and delays in recent years.
Crucial Economic Statistics Come Under Strain
Over the past two years, errors in key datasets released by the ONS — covering consumer prices, trade, producer indices and public finances — triggered a highly critical review of the agency’s operations, management structure and controls.
As part of the turnaround plan, ONS has committed to devoting additional resources to its “core economic and population statistics” programme, including a further £10 million investment and the recruitment of around 150 specialised staff.
Refocusing the Portfolio — Quality Over Quantity
Darren Tierney, Permanent Secretary at the ONS, said: “Our top priority is restoring the quality of our core statistics. Today’s plans take us one step further, narrowing the focus of our portfolio and reducing the number of publications so we can devote resources to our improvement work, putting quality over quantity and working closely with users to rebuild trust.”
The agency emphasised that the reduction in output will allow it to provide “streamlined, clearer” data to users while it implements methodological and structural improvements.
Health, Crime and Local Data—Hit By Cuts and Reallocation
The announcement specifically flagged the health statistics portfolio, which expanded steeply during the COVID-19 pandemic. While basic population metrics such as births, deaths and life expectancy will still be produced, many other health datasets will be transferred to other parts of government.
Crime statistics beyond the flagship Crime Survey for England and Wales are also under review, with the agency citing insufficient funding to maintain the current breadth of coverage.
Separately, the ONS said it will reassess its sub-national statistics suite (covering local economic and social trends) and the Annual Population Survey (APS), which draws on the household Labour Force Survey (LFS) and has seen sharp falls in response rates since the pandemic — raising concerns about data reliability.
The Credibility Challenge Deepens
In April 2025, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) delivered an interim report calling on the ONS to publish a fully resourced improvement plan within weeks, warning that long-term declines in survey response rates (especially the LFS) and delays in modernising collection methods presented urgent risks.
In response, the ONS acknowledged the challenge of maintaining quality under resource pressure and pledged to accelerate automation, improve sampling and rebalance its survey model.
Implications for Policy and Confidence
Reliable official statistics are vital for government policy-making, financial markets and public confidence. The ONS acknowledged that past errors — from inflation to employment and borrowing figures — had eroded trust and complicated economic forecasting.
By scaling back less-critical publications, the agency aims to safeguard the integrity of key datasets such as GDP, trade, retail and labour market figures. The hope is that a smaller, more manageable output portfolio will allow better quality control, timely revisions and clearer communication with users.
Stakeholders will watch closely whether the reduction in quantity indeed delivers stronger quality. For now, ministers and financial markets alike face a watchful wait.
