Outline of China's Official Statistics

I. Functions and Organizational Structure of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)

a). Functions of NBS

National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) is China s Official Statistical Agency directly under the leadership of the State Council of the People s Republic of China. It s main functions are as follows:

(1) To take the responsibilities of organizing, leading and coordinating the national statistical work, to ensure the reality, accuracy and timeliness of statistical data. To constitute statistical policies, planning, basic national statistical programs, national statistical standards. To draft out the statistical laws and regulations. To constitute the ministerial regulations, and to guide the national statistical works.

(2) To establish and improve the system of national accounts, to draft out the program of national accounts, to organize and implement the program of national accounts at national level, and at provincial, autonomous regional and municipal levels. To organize and implement national input-output survey. To calculate GDP at national level, and at provincial, autonomous regional and municipal levels. To compile and provide information on national accounts. To supervise and administer the work of national accounts at regional level.

(3) To draft out the plans and programs of important censuses on national conditions and strength together with related ministries. To organize and implement population census, economic census and agricultural census. To collect, compile and provide related statistical data on national conditions and strength.

(4) To organize and implement statistical surveys on agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, industry, construction, wholesale and retail, hotel and catering services, resident services and other services, cultural, sports and recreational services, loading, unloading and other transport services, storage, computer services, software, services on science and technology exchange and promotion, and social welfare. To collect, aggregate, compile and provide statistical data on related surveys, comprehensively compile and provide basic statistical data on geologic prospecting survey, tourism, transport, post, education, health, social security and public utility.

(5) To organize and implement statistical surveys on energy, investment, consumption, price, income, science and technology, population, labor forces, social development and environment. To collect, aggregate, compile and provide statistical data on related surveys. To comprehensively compile and provide basic national statistical data on resources, house, external trade and external economy.

(6) To organize statistical surveys on economy, society, science and technology, resources and environment of regions and ministries. To check and ratify, administer and release basic national statistical information. To periodically release statistical information on national economy and social development. To organize and establish the statistical information share program and release program on service sector.

(7) To carry out statistical analysis, forecast, supervision on national economy, social development, progress on science and technology, and resources and environment. To provide statistical information and consultant suggestions to the Central Committee of CPC, the State Council and related ministries.

(8) To examine and approve statistical standards, to examine and approve or records the ministerial statistical surveys, regional statistical surveys in accordance with the laws, to guide basic work of professional statistics, basic construction of statistical operations at grass-roots. To organize and establish management program on statistical information of services sector. To establish and improve the program of quality check, supervision and estimation of statistical data. To supervise and administer statistical survey activities related to foreign organizations.

(9) To assist local governments to manage the heads of statistical agencies at provincial, autonomous regional and municipal level. To guide the national team construction in the field of statistics, and to organize and manage the work of national statistical professional qualification test, technical post evaluation and appointment, and employment qualification verification, jointly with related ministries. To supervise and administer the use of the statistical funds and special investments in capital construction by local statistical agencies, which are provided by central finance.

(10) To establish and manage the system of national statistical information automatization and the system of statistical databases. To organize and constitute basic standards and operation regulations of statistical databases for all regions and ministries. To guide the construction of statistical informationization system at local levels.

(11) To collect and compile international statistical data. To organize and implement international exchange and cooperation project on statistical work. To organize and implement international statistical information exchange and statistical exchange and cooperation project.

(12) To undertake other activities assigned by the State Council.

b) Organizational Structure of NBS

NBS has 17 administrative departments, 13 institutional departments. (ref. the Organizational Chart of NBS)

c) Governmental Comprehensive Statistical System

According to the Statistics Law, the state shall establish a centralized and unified statistical system, with a statistical administrative structure under unified leadership and with each level assuming responsibility for its own work.

The Chinese government sets up statistical agencies or statistical post from top to bottom, therefore constituted governmental comprehensive statistical system. The State Council sets up the National Bureau of Statistics, and governments at county level and above set up independent statistical agencies, governments at town and township level set up statistical post, and provide full-time or part-time statistical agent. The survey offices at all levels are the dispatched agencies of NBS, and NBS exercises vertical administration. At present, NBS set up 32 dispatched survey offices at all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and at the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, 15 dispatched survey offices at sub-provincial cities, 333 dispatched survey offices at prefecture level, 887 dispatched survey offices at county level.

The main responsibilities of statistical agencies at county level and above are: (a) to fulfill the national surveys, including censuses and all current surveys, special surveys assigned by NBS; (b) to organize, administer, supervise and examine local statistical work within its administration in accordance with the laws; (c) to organize and implement local statistical surveys, to collect, aggregate, manage and release local statistical information; (d) to undertake statistical analysis, statistical forecast, and statistical supervision on national economy and social development within its administration. (e) to constitute, examine and approve local statistical programs in accordance with laws. The statistical agencies at county level and above are subordinated to the leadership of the local governments at its own level and the statistical agencies at higher level.

All dispatched survey offices of NBS mainly undertake the surveys of important data needed by macro-control and national accounts of the State. These surveys are mainly sampling surveys.

d) Ministerial Statistical System

All ministries under the State Council and all departments under the local governments at all levels, set up statistical offices, or set up statistical post within the related agencies based on the statistical requirements, therefore constituting ministerial statistical system. It s main responsibilities are: (a) To organize and coordinate the statistical work ofthe ministry, and to fulfill national statistical surveys and local statistical surveys; (b) to draw out and implement statistical survey plan of the ministry, to organize and implement the surveys, and to collect, compile and provide statistical information; (c) to undertake statistical analysis and statistical supervision on the development of the ministry and the industry.

II. Statistical Legislation

The current statistical legislation system of China includes the following four categories:

a) Statistics Law the Statistics Law of the People s Republic of China was adopted at the Third Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Sixth National People's Congress on December 8, 1983 and amended at the Nineteenth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress, on May l5, 1996, and revised at the Ninth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People's Congress on June 27, 2009. The Statistics Law regulates the basic principles of the statistical work, statistical survey administration, administration and publication of statistical data, statistical institutions and statisticians, supervision and examination, legal responsibility, etc.

b) Statistical Administrative Regulations including Detailed Rules for Implementation of Statistics Law of People's Republic of China, Regulations on National Population Census, Regulations on National Agricultural Census, Regulations on National Economic Census, Regulations on the Composition of Gross Wages, Declaring Method of International Income and Payments Statistics, Regulations on Custom Statistics, Regulations on National Pollution Source Census, Regulations on Land Surveys, etc.

c) Local Statistical Regulations: All provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities work out its own local statistical regulations, for example, Regulations on the Statistical Administration in Beijing, Regulations on the Statistical Administration in GuangdongProvince, etc.

d) Statistical Administrative Decrees: including ministerial statistical decrees worked out by NBS and relevant ministries of the State Council, and local statistical decrees worked out by the local governments having legislative rights, such as Penalizing Regulations on Violating Statistical Laws, Regulations and Disciplines, Management Methods of the State Statistical Investigation Certificate.

III. Statistical Standards

In accordance with the Statistics Law of the People s Republic of China, NBS sets up statistical standards independently or jointly with relevant ministries, and actively adopt current statistical classification standards in collecting, processing and managing statistical data. The statistical classification standards frequently used in national statistical surveys include: Industrial Classification of National Economic Activities, Classification of Products for Statistical Purpose, Division Standards for Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Industries, Code for Administrative Regions, Regulations on the Division of Types of Enterprises Registration, Classification and Code for Self-employed Industrial and Commercial Households, Code for Subordination of Organization, Code for Type of Organizations, Classification on Retail Sales, Division Standard on Large, Medium and Small Sized Enterprise for Statistical Purpose, Code for Qualification Categories of Construction Enterprises, Administration Regulations on Qualification of Real Estate Enterprises, Administration Regulations on Qualification of Property Management Enterprises, Temporary Regulations on Division of Urban and Rural Areas for Statistical Purpose, Classification Code on Professions, etc.

IV. Statistical Surveys

NBS collects statistical data mainly through censuses and current surveys. Special surveys, typical surveys and administrative records are also used in collecting statistical data.

a) Censuses

In accordance with the Statistics Law of the People s Republic of China, and the requirements of the State Council on establishing census system, and the requirements of reforming statistical survey system, NBS formally set up periodical census system in 1994. At present, NBS conducts three censuses related to national conditions and strength, that is population census, agricultural census, and economic census. Population census and agricultural census are conducted every ten years, respectively in the year with number 0 and 6 , the economic census is conducted every five years, in the year with number 3 and 8 . Since the founding of New China, population census was conducted five times respectively in the year of 1953, 1964, 1982, 1990, 2000. In November 2010, China will conducts its sixth national population census. The agricultural census was conducted twice (1997, 2006), economic census was also conducted twice (2004, 2008).

b) Current Surveys

NBS conducts 46 current surveys, covering national accounts, agriculture, industry, energy, investment, construction, trade and foreign economy, service, urban and rural households, price, society, science and technology, labor force and wages. These surveys include almost every aspects of economy, society, population, environment and resources.

V. National Accounts

China established its national accounts system in 1950s based on the MPS. In 1992, China set up and implemented its new national accounts system which is linked with SNA of the United Nations, that is China s System of National Accounts (tentative program). In 1995, China basically accomplished the transition between the two systems. China s System of National Accounts mainly includes accounting of gross domestic products (GDP), input and output, flow of funds, balance of payments, national assets and economic circle.

VI. Statistical Information Release and Service

a) Statistical Information Release

NBS Releases statistical information through printed publications, statistical communiqu , press conference, and website, so as to meet the requirements of users at all levels.

(1) Printed Publications

Statistical Yearbook: statistical yearbook is one of the most important and overall ways in releasing and providing statistical information for China s official statistical agencies. Mainly include China Statistical Yearbook, statistical yearbooks of different industries and local statistical yearbooks.

China Development Report: China Development Report is a sister book of China Statistical Yearbook. It provides annual major statistical data on society, economy, science and technology, and analysis on related issues by economists and statisticians, and prospects of socio-economic development in the next year.

Statistical Newspaper and Magazines: The newspapers and magazines compiled and issued by NBS include: China Information News, China Statistics, Statistical Research, China s Monthly Economic Indicators, China s National Conditions and Strength, Statistical Education, Survey World, etc.

(2) Statistical Communiqu : statistical communiqu is also an important way for formally releasing statistical data of official statistical agencies. The most representative one is the Statistical Communiqu of the People's Republic of China on National Economic and Social Development which is released at the end of February every year. During the period of population, agricultural and economic censuses, NBS also releases statistical communiqu on major results of censuses. In addition, NBS also releases statistical communiqu jointly with relevant ministries, such as Statistical Communiqu on Science and Technology, Statistical Communiqu on Tourism Industry, etc. The statistical agencies at provincial level also release their newest statistical data through statistical communiqu s.

(3) Series of Statistical Release: to release statistical information through news media is a fast and effective way for official statistical agencies to provide services to the pubic. The main ways include news conference, news release, special news release, series reports and special interview by reporters, etc.

(4) China Statistical Information Network: China Statistical Information Network (www.stats.gov.cn) is the official website of NBS. It was formally opened to the public on February 26, 1999. The main characteristics of NBS website are of reliable information, abundant content, timely update and variety of products. NBS website has become the first platform for releasing and providing statistical information.

b) Statistical Information Service:

In order to satisfy the increasing needs on statistical information of users both from China and the rest of the world, NBS set up China Statistical Library and Information Service (SLIS), which was formally opened to the public on June 2, 2006. The main functions of SLIS are to provide all kinds of nonprofit statistical information services to the public. NBS provides statistical information services to the users through various ways and channels, mainly spot consultant, telephone consultant (010-6852 0066, 6857 6320), email consultant (info@stats.gov.cn) and application of governmental information publicity, etc.