Prof. Tudorel Andrei, PhD,
president of the National Institute of Statistics (NIS)
The National Institute of Statistics (NIS) has followed a remarkable path in Romania’s accession process to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), earning international recognition for the quality of its data and the professionalism of its staff. From obtaining Associate status in 2019 to the approval of the final evaluation report in October 2025, the NIS demonstrated that Romania’s National Statistical System can operate at the highest international standards.
Associate Status – The First Strategic Step Romania, through the National Institute of Statistics, has held Associate status within the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy since 2019. The Committee’s overall objective is to support the implementation of development policies by OECD members and non-members through reliable, relevant, high-quality, and internationally comparable statistical data and information.
Associate status enabled the NIS to participate actively in the Organisation’s technical mechanisms and to prepare for the subsequent stages of accession.
2023 – The First Evaluation Mission
In 2023, the first evaluation mission in the field of official statistics took place at the headquarters of the National Institute of Statistics. Its purpose was to assess the compliance of Romanian legislation with the OECD
legal instrument, the Recommendation of the Council on Good Statistical Practice (OECD/LEGAL/0417). This initial evaluation established the framework for the improvements required moving forward.
2024 – From Paris to the Peer Review Process
June 2024, Paris
The NIS delegation, led by the President of the Institute, participated in the meeting of the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy. On the margins of the event, a decisive meeting was held with the OECD evaluation team, during which the roadmap to the peer- review process—the most rigorous stage in assessing a national statistical system—was discussed.
2024 – The Peer-Review Mission
A team of five OECD experts, including Mr. Steve MacFeely, Chief Statistician and Director of the OECD Statistics and Data Directorate, conducted the peer- review evaluation mission.
The conclusions were highly positive. The experts highlighted the quality of Romania’s statistics and the professionalism of the NIS statistical team, identifying a series of good practices that were subsequently reflected in the final report.
17 October 2025 – Approval of the Final Report. Romania’s Strengths
The date of 17 October 2025 marked a significant milestone for Romanian statistics. Romania’s final evaluation report in the field of statistics was presented to the Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy and submitted for approval.
On the same day, the President of the National Institute of Statistics led Romania’s delegation during the evaluation session organized via videoconference by the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP). Discussions were based on the report prepared by OECD experts regarding Romania’s legislation, policies, and practices in official statistics.
Romania’s delegation highlighted the substantial progress made in aligning the National Statistical System (NSS) with the OECD Recommendation on Good Statistical Practice, as well as with OECD standards concerning the quality and comparability of data and metadata across various statistical domains.
The reaction of OECD member states was entirely favorable. Representatives welcomed Romania’s presentation, expressing appreciation both for the country’s efforts to align with OECD norms and for the quality of the statistical data produced by Romanian authorities.
During the discussions, the CSSP explicitly welcomed a number of positive features of Romania’s statistical system, as outlined in the evaluation report. The Committee praised Romania’s well-developed legal and institutional framework, which is aligned in most respects with the OECD statistical legal instrument, and noted that the National Institute of Statistics acts as an effective coordinator of the National Statistical System.
It also recognized the professionally independent status of official statistics producers, which is guaranteed and widely acknowledged, as well as their strong commitment to the quality of official statistics. Experts further highlighted Romania’s solid statistical infrastructure, which is largely aligned with the best policies and practices of OECD member countries, together with recent progress in improving metadata quality.
Particular attention was given to the strong cooperation between the National Bank of Romania and the National Institute of Statistics. The report emphasized that there are no major data gaps and that there is a firm commitment to developing the missing datasets where necessary, for example regarding wealth distribution. The successful project for the digitalization of national accounts was also noted, together with the efficient transmission of data and metadata, most statistics being collected by the OECD Secretariat from European sources. These assessments represent valuable recognition of the sustained efforts made by the entire NIS team and its institutional partners.
NIS – Statistical Support for All Ministries Involved in the Accession Process
Throughout the accession process, NIS representatives were invited to participate not only in their own evaluation missions but also in numerous assessment missions involving other ministries, as well as in meetings of other OECD committees. Statistics fall within the sphere of interest of all these committees. The National Institute of Statistics provided assistance and support in the process of aligning with OECD standards for several ministries, including:
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;
- The Ministry of Education and Research;
- The Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests;
- The Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity and others.
The Need for Dedicated Statistical Entities Romania’s evaluation by the 26 OECD Committees that rely on statistical information highlighted the urgent need for the National Institute of Statistics to play a central role in providing statistical data across most economic, social, and environmental fields. The OECD has more than 260 legal instruments that require statistical data.
As a result, within the National Committee for Romania’s OECD Accession, discussions were initiated regarding the establishment of dedicated statistical entities at institutional level. To date, joint orders establishing working groups have already been signed with: the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Education and Research, the National Authority for Quality Management in Health.
The Future: Recommendations Received and the NIS’s Ongoing Alignment Efforts
Alongside the strengths highlighted in the final report, OECD experts also identified several areas where Romania could consider further action to enhance alignment with OECD standards and best practices.
The National Institute of Statistics has already begun sustained efforts to address these recommendations, once again demonstrating its strong commitment to the continuous alignment process.
The Institute is currently working on:
- Proposals to amend statistical legislation in order to ensure transparency in the appointment and dismissal procedures of the leadership of statistical authorities;
- Pilot projects aimed at integrating alternative data sources (administrative and private data) and developing innovative methodologies for creating new statistical registers;
- Measures to attract and ensure the sustainability of resources allocated to statistical activities;
- Continuous professional training programmes for NIS staff focused on digital skills and the integration of new data sources;
- Technical and legal solutions to facilitate the sharing of microdata between institutions, in full compliance with confidentiality requirements;
- Updating the Consumer Price Index classification to the COICOP 2018 version and proactively communicating methodological changes to users.
A Major Milestone and a Long-Term Commitment
Romania’s evaluation by the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy represents a major milestone in the country’s accession process to the Organisation. The assessment focused on Romania’s ability to implement OECD standards and legal instruments, as well as international best practices in the field of statistics.
The National Institute of Statistics will continue to cooperate with all partner institutions in order to align with the highest standards and policies promoted by the OECD, transforming the recommendations received into concrete actions and ensuring the sustainable development of Romania’s National Statistical System.
