Statistics Norway

Statistics Norway (Norwegian: Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to SSB) is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.

Statistics Norway building in Oslo

Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English. In addition a number of edited publications are published, and all are available on the web site for free.

As the central Norwegian office for official government statistics, Statistics Norway provides the public and government with extensive research and analysis activities. It is administratively placed under the Ministry of Finance[1] but operates independently from all government agencies. Statistics Norway has a board appointed by the government. It relies extensively on data from registers, but are also collecting data from surveys and questionnaires, including from cities and municipalities.

History

Statistics Norway was originally established in 1876. The Statistics Act of 1989 provides the legal framework for Statistics Norway's activities.

Controversies

Statistics Norway has been criticized in 2018 for misrepresenting employment levels for African and Asian immigrants due to employment was counted from 1 weekly hour of work. Counting full-time employment as 30 hours of work per week, the figures were significantly lower. While official figures show that 35.2% of Pakistani female immigrants are employed, only 20% are in full-time employment.[2]

Leadership

The agency is led by a Director General.

  • Geir Axelsen, Director General, (May 2018 - incumbent)
  • Birger Vikøren, acting Director General (autumn 2017 - May 2018)
  • Christine Meyer, Director General ( - autumn 2017). In the autumn of 2017 resigned from that position after Finance Minister Siv Jensen declared that Meyer no longer had her confidence. The conflict was the question of how the Research Section should be organised.[3]

See also

References
  1. United Nations Statistics Division: Act relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway (the Statistics Act) Act No. 54 of 16 June 1989
  2. Stavrum, Gunnar. "Nye innvandrertall: Under halvparten er i full job" [New immigrant poles: Less than half are fully employed]. Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  3. Lindahl, Björn (14 December 2018). "2018 – a trying year for Statistics Norway's independence". Nordic Labour Journal.
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