September 24, 2025, Baku
The 3rd International Statistics Forum opened in Baku on Tuesday, bringing together senior officials, experts, and scholars from 15 countries and 10 international organizations to discuss the future of statistics in a rapidly changing world.
The three-day event, themed “Prospects for the Development of Statistics: The Role of International Projects,” runs through September 26 and is co-organized by Azerbaijan’s State Statistics Committee and the Interstate Statistical Committee of the CIS.
President Ilham Aliyev, in a written address to participants read by Prime Minister Ali Asadov, underscored the role of accurate data in governance and global development.
“Reliable statistics are a vital tool for measuring progress, shaping sound decisions, and building transparent governance,” Aliyev wrote. “In the modern era, statistics have become one of the most important instruments for assessing social progress, government effectiveness, and the ability to respond to global challenges.”
The president stressed that Azerbaijan has invested heavily in upgrading its statistical system to meet international standards, adopting innovative methods and technologies. He pointed to artificial intelligence and digital transformation as both challenges and opportunities, requiring new tools and methodologies.
Prime Minister Asadov echoed that message in his keynote, calling statistics “the foundation for forecasting not just economic trends but all areas of public life.” He noted that government agencies rely on data “daily, even hourly” for decision-making.
UN recognition of the field was also highlighted. This year, October 20 will be marked as World Statistics Day under the theme “Driving Development through Quality Statistics for All.” Aliyev said the Baku forum, held on the eve of the event, provides a timely platform for launching new initiatives.
Denis Trefilov, Deputy Secretary-General of the CIS, emphasized that digitalization is reshaping statistical practice:
“Our prospects lie in adapting to these new conditions, applying innovations, and creating methodologies for new sectors of the economy and social life,” he said, pointing to joint CIS involvement in global projects such as purchasing-power parity surveys, national accounts, population censuses, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators.
Tahir Budagov, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Statistics Committee, introduced the country’s new 2026-2030 program for developing the national statistical system. Priorities include strengthening institutional capacity, expanding ICT-based innovations, and feeding national experience into international methodological frameworks.
Speakers agreed that with growing reliance on digital technologies and artificial intelligence, the ability to produce reliable, comparable, and forward-looking statistics has become essential – not only for policymaking but also for fostering trust, transparency, and integration in the global economy.
