ONS Review Of Local Data Raises Questions For Place-Based Policymaking

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has indicated it is reviewing the scope, sequencing and frequency of some sub-national statistical outputs as part of a wider programme to prioritise its core national datasets.

The work forms part of ongoing efforts by the ONS to restore confidence in official statistics and focus resources on its central economic and population measures, alongside preparations for Census 2031. As part of this process, the ONS has acknowledged it is considering where short-term capacity could be freed up, which may affect some sub-national publications.

Sub-national statistics, including local and regional breakdowns of economic, demographic and labour market data are widely used by public bodies, researchers and policymakers to understand how national trends play out in different places. These datasets are particularly important for areas where local conditions differ significantly from national averages.

In recent commentary, the Centre for Cities has argued that sub-national economic data should be treated as core national infrastructure, warning that reduced availability of local-level statistics could weaken policymaking and make it harder to assess the impact of decisions across different parts of the country.

The think tank has highlighted that policymakers at all levels rely on local data to design effective interventions, assess value for money and track progress on economic performance and living standards.

ONS Position

The ONS has stated that restoring the quality of its core statistics remains its top priority, while recognising that sub-national data provides an important evidence base for local decision-making and adds value to national-level outputs. It has acknowledged that prioritisation decisions may affect some users and has indicated it will consider the impacts as plans develop.

For rural communities, the quality and granularity of data is particularly important. Decisions on funding, service provision and policy design are routinely shaped by national and regional datasets, yet these often fail to capture the realities of rural life.

As set out in the Rural Services Network’s Delivering for All roadmap, rural need and deprivation can be hidden when statistics are collected over large geographies or rely on metrics designed primarily around urban circumstances. This can mask low wages, seasonal employment, access barriers and the higher costs of delivering services across sparsely populated areas, contributing to rural communities losing out in funding and policy decisions

The roadmap highlights the need for better rural metrics and measures, including more granular data and indicators that reflect rural economies, service access and lived experience, so that policymakers can properly assess need, design effective interventions and understand whether policies are working in practice.

In this context, any changes to the availability or depth of sub-national statistics reinforce the importance of ensuring that rural areas are not further disadvantaged by data that lacks sufficient local detail.