NUMBERS WITHOUT BORDERS

In the modern world statistics have ceased to be a dry set of numbers and have become a universal tool for understanding reality. They lie at the heart of decisions by states, companies and individuals, helping to reveal trends, forecast risks and shape future strategy. The economy in particular cannot exist without statistics: from inflation and employment indicators to volumes of foreign trade and investment — all these data determine a country’s resilience and development.

All this was discussed at the III International Statistical Forum in Baku, "Prospects for the Development of Statistics: the Role of International Projects", which brought together representatives from many countries of Asia and Europe. The forum is expected to encompass more countries and participants each year.

Digital challenges

By increasing their significance, statistics have become one of the principal tools for assessing societal progress, the effectiveness of state policy and the capacity to respond to global challenges. This point was made in President Ilham Aliyev’s address to forum participants. "Reliable statistical data play a major role in ensuring sustainable development, making informed decisions and building transparent state governance," the head of state said.

In his speech Prime Minister Ali Asadov emphasised that Azerbaijan’s national statistical system is actively developing, with primary attention given to producing official data in line with international standards and applying innovative approaches. "We pay particular attention to reforms based on digital transformation, modern technologies and artificial intelligence. In this direction Azerbaijan actively cooperates with leading countries and international organisations," the prime minister said.

The need to improve methodology in light of new challenges and requirements was echoed by Konstantin Laikam, chairman of the CIS International Statistical Committee. In his view, a second significant and complex challenge for statistical authorities is the digitalisation of society. "You know that business, private life and public life have moved into the digital realm. This creates an enormous flow of data, which sometimes represents an alternative form of statistics. Statistical bodies must understand what these data are, how they were formed, which methodology was used and by what methods surveys were conducted," the committee chair said.

Reforms and standards

Considering the need to update statistical research, CIS countries have started developing a model classifier for economic activities. This document should bring the regional system as close as possible to European standards and ensure data comparability at the international level.

As Laikam noted, "all statistics are built on classifications." The classifier of economic activities is the chief element here and is regularly updated: new services and goods appear, while outdated items are removed. Recently the European Commission approved a new edition — NACE 2.1 — which provides transitional keys from the old classifier to the new. In the CIS countries the task has been set to align national systems with the European model and prepare a full translation of the document.

Where such work formerly took several years, the process is now planned to be completed within a year. Artificial intelligence will be used to speed up the task. The forthcoming model classifier will become a single base for all CIS countries, while allowing adaptation to national specifics. A fifth and sixth digit may be added to the European four‑digit standard to reflect the peculiarities of individual states.

At the same time CIS countries are implementing the international statistical standard "System of National Accounts‑2025" (SNA‑2025), adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in March this year. This document has become a new global reference for compiling national macroeconomic statistics. Simultaneously a new round of population and household surveys has been launched, and a global programme of international comparisons based on purchasing power parity is underway.

Denis Trefilov, deputy secretary‑general of the CIS, noted that member states' participation in international statistical projects strengthens integration and enhances economic ties. Unified methodological approaches allow comparable analysis, reveal common and specific trends and enable decisions based on objective data.

Azerbaijan is also increasing its focus on statistics. The new State Programme for 2026–2030 sets priorities for the national statistical system. According to the chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Statistical Committee, Tahir Budagov, this entails developing the sector’s capacity taking into account international experience, expanding innovations and applying digital technologies. Active cooperation with international organisations and specialised foreign institutions also occupies an important place.

A new survey by Central Bank of Azerbaijan

Where official data do not always reflect the full picture of socio‑economic processes, alternative statistics become an important tool. They allow hidden trends to be revealed, different information sources to be compared and thus increase the objectivity of analysis.

In this regard it is worth noting that the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBAR) has announced that it will launch a survey on household financial behaviour and intentions on its digital platform. Samir Nasirov, director of the CBAR statistics department, said the study’s aim is to collect information on household consumption and savings behaviour and intentions, to explore their opinions on factors influencing these decisions, and to obtain information on household debt burdens and their capacity to repay them.

The central bank stated that households’ consumption and saving behaviour and intentions form the basis of aggregate demand and are among the factors shaping inflation and expectations. Conversely, debt burdens and their servicing affect households’ financial resilience and solvency, playing an important role in decisions on consumption and savings.

"We guarantee full protection of personal data of citizens participating in the survey. Data obtained online will be encoded and analysed using specialised technologies. Thus the confidentiality of participants’ data will be ensured," Mr. Nasirov promised.

The survey is planned to be conducted four times a year — once each quarter.

At the central bank the information collected in the study will be of great importance for analysing and forecasting a number of macroeconomic indicators, as well as for decision‑making in monetary policy and financial stability.

Statistics in Azerbaijan today are developing at the intersection of international standards, digital technologies and national initiatives, making them a key tool for comparable analysis and forecasting. From global classifiers and implementation of SNA‑2025 to the central bank’s surveys of household financial behaviour — all these are links in a single chain that provide an objective picture of the economy and help make more balanced decisions at state and societal levels.