Overview

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) brings together the governments of developed countries committed to democracy and the market economy in order to support sustainable economic growth and boost employment and living standards around the world. It also works to maintain financial stability, assist the economic development of non-member states and contribute to growth in world trade. The OECD’s work is based on continual monitoring of events in member countries as well as outside the OECD area, and includes regular projections of short and medium-term economic developments. It collects and analyses a broad range of social and economic data as a basis for expert discussion which are used to formulate recommendations to individual Governments for action.

The OECD shares expertise and exchanges views with more than 100 other countries and economies, from Brazil, China, and Russia to the least developed countries in Africa.

Statistical Activities

Statistical activities in the OECD are carried out in a de-centralised manner: they comprise work by the OECD Statistics Directorate as well as statistical work in policy-oriented departments. The OECD produces mainly economic statistics on a comparable basis for analytical work inside and outside of the organisation, for the media and for the general public. The OECD promotes and develops international statistical standards and co-ordinates statistical activities both within the Organisation and with other international agencies. The OECD’s work on statistical standards provides essential methodological guidelines that underpin the work of both member and non-member countries.

While all of the Directorates’ statistical activities involve both member and non-member countries, some activities have more extensive outreach components than others. Throughout the organisation, particular attention is paid to involve non-member countries in the context of the OECD’s enhanced engagement programme. This programme addresses co-operation with large emerging economies, in particular China, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa. New data developments also come from countries that have recently accessed the OECD (Chile, Estonia, Israel, Slovenia) and Russia for whom the accession process is under way.  

The PARIS21 Secretariat is based within OECD but is dealt with under its own heading in this directory. 

Validated 2010