Две проблемы российской статистики: взгляд пользователя

Вопросы статистики. 2021. Т. 28. № 4. С. 5–22.

Bessonov V. A.

   The article discusses two groups of problems in Russian statistics that still have no viable solutions. The first one - the state of the statistics interface – is the set of channels through which users obtain statistical information. The second – metadata status – is the information on how the indicators are constructed. The problems are considered from the standpoint of consumers of statistical information, performing tasks of analyzing economic dynamics.
   It is concluded that with the transition from traditional printed materials to statistical information systems, interface development has come to a standstill, and in the development of metadata, there is no compliance with any standards, uniformity, and consistency. In the author's opinion, these problems seriously hinder the improvement of all Russian statistics, being a kind of blood clots. When an interface becomes a bottleneck, the value of statistics to users decreases. The unsatisfactory state of metadata leads to the fact that consumers of statistical
information are not always able to use it adequately, and the problems of statistical methodology are conserved.
   The causes of the problems are determined, on the one hand, by the complex history of domestic statistics (extended period of development in a planned economy and the specifics of economic transformation), and, on the other hand, by the lack of effective feedback.
   The author considers possible approaches to addressing the problems. The expediency of creating groups of specialists in the structure of the statistical department on the main problem blocks, acting as points of growth and centers of competence, accumulating knowledge, mastering domestic and foreign experience, attracting representatives of the expert community, directing and controlling the activities to solve problems, is substantiated.

Keywords: государственная статистика, доступ к данным, база данных, метаданные, database, экономическая статистика, index number, economic statistics, временной ряд, экономический индекс, metadata, time series, статистическая методология, statistical methodology, data access, state statistics