1. National Statistics Institute Income Generation Survey
December 2015

2. Background: Supporting the future of official statistics
Vienna Retreat on the Future of Official Statistics
What can the EU statistical community do to help create the right backdrop for sustained investment in official statistics?
The demand for official statistics and data exploitation has never been higher yet budgets are being squeezed... So agreed a need for:
a new and convincing mission/narrative;
renewed efforts in communicating the value of official statistics;
a more innovative approach in designing and delivering products fit for a digital age;
a move into higher value analytical, insightful story telling rather than production of numbers;
more relevant presentation of data to key decision makers in society;
a more creative approach in seeking out alternative funding streams, including tapping into commercial and national and international research funding;
our systems to be more adaptable to change;
greater experimentation and more opportunities to share success and failure in innovative product design across the ESS.
The Director Generals’ Vienna retreat held January 2015 discussed ways the EU statistical community could help create the right backdrop for sustained investment in Official statistics

3. Background: Information need
The Retreat agreed that there needed to be work completed to inform a way forward on this:
A future-focused mission statement to be developed for the ESS
The use of a PR/marketing company to help develop a communication strategy to help raise the profile and value of official statistics
A new forum set up for sharing successes and failures in designing and delivering product innovation
The development of a data collection exercise to gather information from ESS members on income generation that will:
help develop a shared understanding of how much and what type of funding NSIs draw on, over and above direct central finance ministry funding;
be developed by UK in collaboration with Eurostat
Glen Watson, Director General of the UK’s Office for National Statistics, agreed to develop and collate the responses of an Income Generation Survey in collaboration with Eurostat

4. Purpose of the Survey Provide a high level understanding of:
Current practices for income generation in NSIs
Future intentions for income generation in NSIs
Key themes:
Trends over time
Current position
Barriers to income generation
Future expectations of income
The survey was completed by all ESS Members
Glen Watson, Director General of the UK’s Office for National Statistics, agreed to develop and collate the responses of an Income Generation Survey in collaboration with Eurostat

5. Results (1)
Between 2010 and 2014 (the four years examined by the survey), the total income generated across ESS members remained relatively static- decreasing slightly from €247.3m to €242.4m in current prices and not keeping up with inflation*

6. Results (2)
Between the same period, the average income as a proportion of total budget across ESS members increased marginally from 9.7% to 10.0%

7. Results (3)
There is notable variance among NSIs in the scale of income generation per head of population

8. Results (4)
In 2014, the largest income share of total budget reported was 47%; the lowest was 1%
Across the same years, the mean and median income shares were 9.4% and 5.9% respectively

9. Results (5)
Between 2010 and 2014, 41% of NSIs experienced, on average, a decline in their volume of income.

10. Results (6)
Over the same period, 81% of NSIs experienced either no change or a rise in their income proportion- suggesting increased pressures on the non income components of total budget

11. Results (7)
On average across the ESS, the largest proportion of income was derived from European Grants (42% of total income)

12. Results (8)
Two thirds of NSIs reported the ability to retain all the income they receive
38% of NSIs reported that their charging policy is set by the central finance ministry
Roughly half of all respondents stated that there was scope to change their charging policy
European Grants, Commercial Sources, and Central Government Departments were the most frequently reported sources of income
Obtaining income form Academic or Research Organisations was the least cited
The most common income-earning activity from European Grants was survey development
The most common income-earning activity from Central Government Departments was social/population data analysis
The most common income-earning activity from Commercial Sources was selling data

13. Results (9)
Overcoming legislative barriers and a lack of resources were most frequently cited by ESS members as prerequisites to obtaining current level of income
The majority of participating NSIs expected there to be no change in their income generating activities in the next 5 years while 34% expected an increase in income generating activities
Just under half (47%) reported having a specific income generation target
The most frequently cited reason for expecting income to increase or greatly increase in the next 5 years was “this supports the strategic direction of the NSI”. This was followed closely by “reducing budgets make it essential to generate income”