Official Statistics in the Wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Central Banking Perspective

Abstract

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic (CV19) on official statistics has been large and multiform. As regards central banks, their statisticians responded proactively to the related data disruptions, and new ways were found to address policy information needs. But the pandemic also triggered a general review of their statistical functions with the view of reorganising statistical production chains. In that sense, the pandemic proved to be a wake-up call for official statistics, underscoring the need for a new, enhanced global framework to improve existing core statistics and address new data needs. The completion of the G20 Data Gaps Initiative at the end of 2021 will provide a key opportunity to support this endeavour and enhance the global statistical infrastructure.