Three in Ten Luxembourgers Distrust Official Statistics, Says OECD Report

Around 31% of Luxembourg residents do not trust the country’s official statistics, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The data was shared by Minister of the Economy, Lex Delles, who addressed the issue while discussing the new work programme of the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Statec).

“This is a problem that democracy is facing today,” admitted Tom Haas, Statec’s director, noting that rebuilding public confidence in statistical institutions has become a key challenge. Despite the scepticism, Statec remains among the most trusted public institutions in Luxembourg — second only to the police, which holds a 70.4% trust rating, followed by the justice system at 66%.

Minister Delles emphasised the importance of Statec’s independence in maintaining credibility. “It’s essential that Statec remains politically independent and able to criticise government action when necessary,” he said. He added that accurate, objective data allows citizens to distinguish reality from misinformation, especially in an age where fake news spreads rapidly.

To strengthen its role, the government plans to provide Statec with additional resources and staff. The 2025 budget allocates €37.1 million to the institute, representing 6.57% of the Ministry of the Economy’s total budget. “More human resources are welcome to accelerate the digital transformation we’ve already begun,” Haas noted, pointing out that Statec currently employs around 180 full-time staff.

Discussing the institute’s priorities, Haas explained that new technologies and data automation will play a major role in the coming years. While artificial intelligence is a key topic, he highlighted that data management and interconnectivity are equally vital. “We’ve learned to work with massive data sets, using algorithms rather than manual calculations, which allows us to analyse issues in greater depth,” Haas said.

Statec’s upcoming programme aims to improve efficiency, reliability, and the speed of statistical reporting — steps that both the institute and the government hope will help rebuild public trust in Luxembourg’s official data.
Read More: Luxembourg: 31% des résidents doutent des statistiques officielles - L'essentiel

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