Experimental statistics developed by Statistics Poland go beyond the standard practice of official statistics. Statistics of this type allow the supplementation of certain information gaps that cannot be filled by traditional statistics. Experimental statistics respond to the new needs of the recipients, including those related to tracking progress in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. Moreover, they enable the analysis of areas that are difficult to describe using standard tools. These indicators are developed in an innovative way using new methodological approaches, non-traditional methods and tools (e.g. Earth observations), and through integrating various data sources. The results of experimental work do not constitute official statistics.
The wide thematic scope of the 2030 Agenda goals (people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership) exceeds the resources offered by official statistics. Although data from traditional sources enable the calculation of a major part of the SDG indicators, data gaps remain in some areas. In Poland’s case, about 70% of SDG statistics come from traditional sources (Global indicators – reporting status). In order to bridge the gap in the scope of data and ensure that no one is left behind in achieving SDGs (which is in line with the LNOB principle), it is necessary to search for non-traditional sources and apply innovative methods. Therefore, experimental SDG statistics are developed all over the world (Countries: Non-traditional and innovative data sources – SDG Good Practices), including our region of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (7th Expert Meeting on Statistics for SDGs – Session 5. Expanding the SDGs monitoring with non-traditional data sources). Statistics Poland also conducts research and development activities in this area, applying e.g. satellite remote sensing to calculate experimental SDG indicators related to sustainable urbanisation (11.3.1 and 11.7.1) and infrastructure (9.1.1).
Each indicator calculated on the basis of experimental methods is accompanied by a set of context indicators. Unlike experimental statistics, the data source for context indicators is research conducted by Statistics Poland using standard methods (surveys, reporting, censuses, registers). Therefore, these are statistics of an official character.
A set of context indicators (different for each experimental indicator) has been designed to allow for an in-depth examination of the monitored phenomenon in order to better understand the information provided by experimental indicators and to help assess the progress towards achieving sustainable development to the best possible extent. The set of context indicators does not exhaust the statistical information provided by official statistics within a given area. To learn more about additional statistical data, visit the Information Portal of Statistics Poland, including our database systems.
Sustainable Development Goals form the basis of the 2030 Agenda. They are mainly monitored using indicators from traditional sources, although they are not always sufficient. To enable the analysis of SDG areas that are difficult to describe by means of standard methods and tools, Statistics Poland has been developing statistics calculated in an innovative way and will be making further experimental SDG indicators available.
Information about Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda can be found on the SDG Platform - a tool that serves to monitor and assess progress in the implementation of sustainable development and provides detailed information concerning SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. Two sets of indicators monitoring Sustainable Development Goals are used not only to monitor but also to evaluate the progress: a global one with data for Poland (developed by the UN in order to make comparisons of the achieved progress between countries and on a global scale) and a national one (developed by Statistics Poland and relevant government ministries to measure and analyse changes in time and to assess Poland's progress in implementing sustainable development). On the SDG Platform, in the About SDG tab, you can also find, among other things, key information about: the assumptions of the 2030 Agenda, the role of international organisations (UN, EU, OECD) and the role of official statistics in monitoring the SDGs.
You can find information about research work on experimental statistics carried out by Statistics Poland on its Information Portal in the Experimental statistics tab. Experimental work conducted by Statistics Poland concerns, among others: satellite identification of crops for the purposes of agricultural statistics, road and maritime transport statistics (TranStat), as well as human capital, research and development (R&D) and KLEMS productivity accounts.