The Cyprus Statistical Society (CSS), as part of the European Statistics Day celebrations, co-organised an event with the Statistical Service entitled “The Role of Official Statistics in Shaping Economic Policy”. The event took place on 20 October 2026 at the Ministry of Finance, with Dr Andreas Charalambous, President of the Fiscal Council, as the keynote speaker.
The presentation highlighted the importance of reliable statistics in understanding economic developments, making evidence-based decisions, designing and evaluating policies, and ensuring democratic accountability. Particular emphasis was placed on Cyprus’s need for timely and reliable statistical information, with the central message being that investing in statistics is an investment in the future.
This year’s European Statistics Day theme, “European Statistics at a Crossroads: Priorities, Opportunities and Constraints”, focused on the changes shaping the future of official statistics. Growing user needs, new data sources and technological developments, including artificial intelligence, are creating new opportunities. At the same time, limited resources and the need to safeguard quality and statistical confidentiality make it essential to establish clear priorities.
As part of the celebrations, registrations also opened on 20 October for the national round of the 10th European Statistics Competition, for the 2026–2027 school year. The CSS is involved in organising and supporting the competition, in collaboration with the Statistical Service, the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, and the University of Cyprus.
The competition is aimed at secondary school students and seeks to strengthen statistical literacy and familiarise them with official statistics. Through their participation, students develop skills in searching for, analysing and presenting data, as well as critically evaluating information. Further information about the competition is available at the following link: https://www.gov.cy/esc/.
Through its participation in these two initiatives, the CSS contributes to highlighting the importance of reliable statistics for society and the economy, while also promoting and strengthening statistical literacy among young people.
