Japan to revise its public statistics

October 6, 2007
By Ken Worsley

In an effort to streamline statistics and better represent the activity of service industry firms, Japan is set to retool the way it gathers, analyzes and distributes public statistics during fiscal 2009, according to the Nikkei.

Many have been critical of the current system, which is full of overlapping and often contradictory reporting. We’ve seen great variance, for example, in what the Statistics Bureau and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare report in terms of unemployment or household spending numbers. The Cabinet Office tells us that Japan currently reports 55 basic statistics that are compiled by seven different government ministries. No word on whether or not the Ministry of Finance agrees with that figure.

Personally, I don’t mind the discrepancies that much. It gives me more to think about, and reinforces the fact that government numbers simply aren’t going to be 100% accurate anyway. I can see how it makes some think that Japan is inscrutable, but I don’t think streamlining the system will really change that anyhow. Nonetheless, it’s a step in the right direction, provided we see a tangible improvement in how the statistics are handled and reported.

Filed Under Economic Reports, Japan