The Office for National Statistics says major errors in its economic data fell from four to one in a single quarter, as it publishes its latest progress update on a wide-ranging programme to overhaul UK statistics.
The figures show a measurable reduction in data quality failures: major errors dropped from four in the previous quarter to just one in the period covered by the ONS’s April 2026 update. The improvement plan itself was launched in June 2025 and spans both economic statistics and statistical surveys, with James Benford, the ONS Director-General for Surveys and Economic and Social Statistics, reviewing progress, organisational performance and plans for the coming months.
Survey response rates have also recovered ground. First-wave Labour Force Survey household interviews rose from 7,389 in the second quarter of 2023 to 8,555 in the second quarter of 2025 — bringing response levels back close to pre-pandemic figures, according to the ONS.
That recovery matters because the Labour Force Survey feeds into the Transformed Labour Force Survey, which the ONS is developing as the future headline measure for UK labour market statistics. The plan is to set out a transition route in 2026, with the Transformed Labour Force Survey becoming the headline measure in 2027.
One figure stands out beyond the error count.
The ONS has also introduced scanner data into consumer prices, made improvements to the Statistical Business Register — a central platform for business search and sampling — and moved statistical processes away from legacy systems. House price statistics have been revised to make them less prone to revision, and producer price statistics have been reinstated with improved weights. Digital collection of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings has been extended.
The next quarterly update will likely include revised milestones, priorities covering 2026 to 2029 and new key performance indicators. The ONS says the programme is aimed at strengthening the quality, resilience, transparency and long-term sustainability of official UK economic statistics.
Source: @ONS