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Government should release stats that people can understand
Updated: 2010-03-04 09:28
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Government should release stats that people can understand
True, statistics don't lie. But can they reveal only some of the truth? This is the dilemma the National Bureau of Statistics has to solve if it wants people to believe the figures it releases, especially those on the increase in housing prices, says an article in Chinese Business View. Excerpts:
A few days ago, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) issued a report that said housing prices in 70 large and medium cities rose by just 1.5 percent last year. The public doubts the NBS findings, because it has seen housing prices skyrocketing in recent times.
NBS experts say it is not surprising for the public to have their doubts of the dry world of statistics. Indeed, official statistics are always different from what people perceive through common sense. This makes the public distrust government figures.
The purpose of statistics is to help the government and the people grasp reality. They should help the government formulate measures to deal with different situations, too. But since statistics of late have differed (and greatly, at that) from people's perception and experience, they no longer seem to be fulfilling those functions. To make statistics an effective parameter and restore people's trust in government figures, the NBS and related departments should stop using statistical tricks and instead release figures that people can relate to.
(China Daily 03/03/2010 page9)
