About ONS
The work of ONS affects everyone in the UK. It informs the development of social and economic policy and makes headline news on a daily basis. Our statistics and analysis cover all aspects of life in the UK today, so the work is always challenging and diverse. We produce statistics and reports on a wide range of topics covering the economy and society, eg population, health and labour markets. We bring a local, regional, national and international dimension to the work.
The National Statistician, Karen Dunnell, is the Director of ONS and Registrar General for England and Wales. ONS was formed in April 1996 when the Central Statistical Office merged with the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
Our vision is to:
- Be a world–class provider of statistical services
- Ensure that our statistics command the public's trust and confidence
- Create new and exciting online products and services
To deliver this, ONS must adapt faster than ever before, doing more with less to achieve our goals. At the same time, we'll continue to update and refine our vision, embracing developments such as ONS's forthcoming independence from the government.
The Newport office is the corporate headquarters of ONS. Its primary focus is on the collection and analysis of economic statistics, methodological research and prices, but there is an expanding opportunity to branch out into social and labour market statistics.
The Titchfield office is the base for ONS Centre for Demography, the body that focuses on census, geography, and regional and local statistics. This includes responsibility for the census of population once every ten years.
At London, we focus on researching and analysing social and economic data collected by other ONS sites. One of the main products of this work is the National Accounts.
Finally, Southport is home to the General Register Office (GRO) and also maintains the National Health Service Central Register on behalf of the Department of Health and the National Health Service.
