The ABS is Australia’s national statistical agency, providing trusted official statistics on a wide range of economic, social, population and environmental matters of importance to Australia.

They also have an important leadership role, coordinating statistical activities and collaborating with official bodies in the collection, compilation, analysis and distribution of statistics. This assists in maximising the value of government investment on these activities, and ensures outputs are fit-for-purpose.

By doing these things, they aim to inform decisions on important issues. They expect this will lead to a more informed community; more efficient markets, economic growth and productivity enhancements; better policy development and evaluation; and targeted and more efficient service delivery.

They operate in a dynamic environment. New opportunities for accessing and interrogating a vast amount of administrative, transactional and other data are becoming available, increasing the potential to provide new insights into matters of importance to Australians.

In response to this, the ABS will undergo major transformation over the coming years. It will encompass how they operate as an organisation, both internally and as part of the wider information community; their statistical infrastructure; their people and culture; and the statistical solutions they deliver.