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BRICS Representatives Discuss the Development of Statistics in Member Countries

The significance of statistics in today’s digital age has reached a new level. Many decisions at government and business levels are based on data analysis. However, there is a mixed perception of official statistics, which negatively affects trust in public policies. The heads of BRICS statistical agencies discussed this issue and ways to address it at a forum in Kazan, where a representative from HSE University also participated in the event.

On October 28–29, 2024, the 16th meeting of the heads of national statistical services from the BRICS countries took place in Kazan as part of the BRICS Summit. Representatives from various government agencies and experts from Russia, South Africa, the UAE, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, India, Belarus, and Azerbaijan attended the meeting.

A special session titled ‘Development of the Statistical Community in Russia and BRICS Countries’ was organised at the initiative of the Russian delegation. During the session, experts discussed cooperation between professional and expert statistical communities, modernisation of statistical production processes, interaction between government statistical services and the public, and ways to enhance statistical literacy among the population.

Alexey Ponomarenko
Photo: Maksim Bogovid / Photohost agency brics-russia2024.ru

HSE Professor and Chairman of the Board of the Russian Association of Statisticians, Alexey Ponomarenko, noted that starting in 2023, the subject of ‘Probability Theory and Statistics’ has become a mandatory part of the school curriculum in Russia. For grades 7–11, students have at least one statistics lesson per week. As a result, approximately 6 million schoolchildren are acquiring knowledge and skills in statistical thinking, which will enable them to understand and competently apply information containing statistical data.

Meanwhile, today, school teachers require support from professional statisticians. Moreover, targeted efforts to improve literacy and education in this field are necessary. HSE University, with its team of experienced statisticians in practical work and research, could serve as a hub for such initiatives.

‘We are ready to collaborate with both Russian educators and colleagues from BRICS nations, especially since statistical communities in numerous BRICS countries have well-established systems and valuable knowledge to share,’ emphasised Alexey Ponomarenko.

Alexandr Surinov, HSE Director of Statistical Studies and Head of the Department of Statistics and Data Analysis at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, confirmed the department's full support for collaboration with statisticians from BRICS countries. ‘We share many common challenges with large BRICS countries such as China, India, and Brazil, including subnational studies on socio-economic development indicators that consider local specifics. I believe that if these projects are implemented, HSE statisticians will actively participate,’ he concluded.

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