Since the 1960s, Statistics Norway has been actively engaged in international collaboration, and in 1994, we established the Division for International Development Cooperation. Over the last 30 years, the Division has expanded, both in size and scope of projects. Today, we have a dedicated team of 15 staff members who coordinate our projects, drawing on the expertise from all departments within Statistics Norway. Last year, over 100 staff members contributed to our projects, enabling us to carry out activities in a wide range of statistical domains and support functions. Over time, our mission remains clear: support our partners to strengthening National Statistical Systems and enhancing the production of high-quality official statistics.
Our cooperation model involves three main types of projects. We engage in twinning or bilateral partnerships with National Statistical Offices (NSOs) to enhance their statistical capabilities. We also lead sector-specific projects that focus on targeted themes, such as our collaboration with Indonesia on ocean accounts to improve sustainable ocean management. Additionally, we participate in global and regional cooperation with international organizations on specific themes. These regional collaborations are particularly effective in scaling up successful solutions, benefiting multiple countries and NSOs.
Triangular cooperation is a key aspect of our international efforts, bringing together Statistics Norway, partner countries and third-party organizations. For example, the NSOs in Kenya, Ghana and Uruguay have hosted study visits in 2024, sharing their experience with sister organisations. In 2024, we financed positions in both COMESA and STATAFRIC to strengthen regional capacity building efforts. Through these partnerships, we leverage additional resources and expertise to enhance the impact, while also fostering a more inclusive global statistical community.
A significant milestone for the food security project was achieved in March 2024 when the UN Statistical Commission endorsed the Guidelines on how to process food data from Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys (HCES). These guidelines were developed by a task team under the United Nations Committee of Experts on Food Security, Agriculture, and Rural Statistics (UN CEAG). Key partners in creating the guidelines included Statistics Norway, The World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and The Pacific Community (SPC). The guidelines help countries to standardize the processing of food data from HCES, aiming to improve efficiency, quality, and consistency of these data which is crucial for national accounts, consumer price indices, and analyses of poverty and food security.
Looking ahead, Statistics Norway remains committed to fostering international partnerships that drive progress in official statistics. By sharing knowledge, strengthening institutions, and promoting best practices, we contribute to more informed decision-making and sustainable development worldwide.
Most of Statistics Norway’s international development cooperation is funded by Norad.