The purpose of this Law shall be the regulation of relations in the area of official statistics.

This Law shall apply to producers and users of official statistics, respondents and providers of administrative data, as well as to the relations arising between them, related to the production, dissemination, and coordination of official statistics.

This Law shall not apply to statistics that is not considered as official.

The legislation on official statistics shall include this Law and other legislative acts.

Should an international treaty of the Republic of Uzbekistan stipulate the rules other than those provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan on official statistics, the rules of the international treaty shall apply.

The following basic concepts shall be used in this Law:

identifier is a sequence of characters that allows identifying a statistical unit based on its name, geographic location, or other specific properties;

individual data is primary data characterizing a statistical unit, which allows identifying it either directly or indirectly;

administrative data is data generated by state administration and economic management bodies, as well as local executive authorities in connection with the exercise of their powers;

metadata is data that describes statistical data and processes in a standardized way by providing users with information about data sources, methodologies, definitions, classifications, and quality;

national statistical system is a set of state statistical bodies and other producers of official statistics that jointly produce and disseminate official statistics;

producer of official statistics is the state administration body and (or) its subdivision that is part of the national statistical system that produces statistical data in accordance with statistical programs in the field of official statistics;

statistical data is information of economic, demographic, social, financial, environmental and other nature, produced as a result of statistical observations and (or) on the basis of administrative data;

production of statistical data is the activity pertaining to collecting, processing, summarizing, analyzing, disseminating, and storing statistical data;

statistical unit is an individual or a legal entity (including its separate subdivisions, branches, and representative offices) or a household subject to statistical observation;

classification is the division of sets of objects by similarity or distinction into separate subsets in accordance with the accepted methods and attributes in the field of official statistics.

Official statistics are the statistical data produced and disseminated by state statistical agencies and other producers of official statistics in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

The key principles of official statistics shall be as follows:

independence;

clarity and transparency;

accuracy and reliability;

impartiality and objectivity;

statistical confidentiality;

relevance.

The following shall represent main areas of the state policy in the field of official statistics:

improving the legal and organizational basis of the national statistical system;

improving the infrastructure of the national statistical system;

increasing the opportunities to use modern information and communication technologies;

expanding and strengthening international cooperation.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan shall:

ensure the implementation of state policy in the field of official statistics;

determine the priorities for the development of official statistics;с

ensure the development, approval and implementation of statistical programs in the field of official statistics (hereinafter – the statistical programs);

take measures to ensure that the area of official statistics is interconnected with targeted government programs.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan may also exercise other powers in accordance with the legislation.

The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics shall be the authorized state body in the field of official statistics (hereinafter – the authorized state body).

The authorized state body shall:

implement the state policy in the field of official statistics;

coordinate the development of statistical programs and monitor their implementation;

implement the priority areas for the development of official statistics jointly with other producers of official statistics;

coordinate the official statistics development activities within the national statistical system;

conduct an audit of the statistical methodologies of other producers of official statistics for compliance with international recommendations;

develop, approve, and introduce the statistical methodologies and statistical observation forms complying with international recommendations;

establish the exchange of statistical data and metadata with the producers of official statistics;

integrate with information systems of state administration and economic management bodies, as well as local executive authorities to conduct statistical observations, establish and analyze official statistical data;

develop and maintain statistical registers for the organization and conduct of statistical observations, as well as for their use for other statistical purposes;

establish advisory and working groups to conduct organizational and methodological work in the field of official statistics;

develop measures for the coordinated dissemination of official statistics within the national statistical system;

develop a uniform terminology in the field of official statistics in coordination with other producers of official statistics;

coordinate the work on training, retraining, and advanced training of personnel in the field of official statistics;

carry out the international cooperation in the field of official statistics.

The specially authorized state body may also exercise other powers in accordance with the legislation.

The Statistical Council shall be a collegial advisory body for the development, functioning, and coordination of official statistics under the authorized state body.

The Statistical Council shall be composed of representatives of state administration bodies, research organizations, nongovernmental non-profit organizations, and national statistical experts.

The composition of the Statistical Council shall be approved by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The working body of the Statistical Council shall be the relevant division of the authorized state body.

When producing statistics, producers of official statistics shall be guided by internationally recommended definitions, classifications, and methodology.

The authorized state body shall coordinate the activities of other producers of official statistics under statistical programs.

The producers of official statistics shall coordinate the methodology of statistical data production within the scope of their powers.

In case of detection of a non-compliance with international recommendations in the statistical methodologies of other producers of official statistics, the authorized state body shall – on the results of the audit of statistical methodologies – have the right to make compulsory representations to them.

Other producers of official statistics, being a part of the national statistical system, shall establish subdivisions responsible for generating statistical data and ensuring information exchange with the authorized state body.

Producers of official statistics and providers of administrative data shall provide the authorized state body with the statistical and (or) administrative data available to them on a free-of-charge basis in accordance with the procedure and within the time-frame established by the statistical programs.

State statistics bodies shall be the main producers of official statistics.

The state administration bodies included in the statistical programs as producers of official statistics shall be other producers of official statistics.

Producers of official statistics shall produce, disseminate, and coordinate official statistics in accordance with this Law and statistical programs.

The state statistics bodies shall be the authorized state body, Departments of Statistics of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions and Tashkent city, Divisions of Statistics of districts (cities).

State bodies, other organizations, and their officials shall not have the right to interfere with the activities of state statistics bodies carried out in accordance with this Law.

The Departments of Statistics of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions, and Tashkent city, Divisions of Statistics of districts (cities) shall be independent from the local state authorities and shall be directly subordinated to the authorized state body.

Financing and the material and technical support of the activities of state statistics bodies shall be provided from the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan in accordance with the statistical programs and other sources not prohibited by law.

State statistics bodies shall have the right to:

obtain statistical observation forms from state administration and economic management bodies, citizens' self-government bodies, banks, and other organizations, and use statistical observation data for statistical purposes;

conduct statistical observations of the activities of statistical units and use the primary data obtained for statistical purposes;

give incentives to respondent individuals for participation in statistical observations;

request and receive from the state administration and economic management bodies, as well as from other organizations the information necessary for the implementation of statistical programs;

engage individuals and legal entities on a contractual basis to collect statistical data necessary for the production of official statistics, in accordance with the legislation;

use and implement in the national statistical system the modern methods and tools for collecting, processing, summarizing, analyzing, disseminating, and storing statistical data;

in the case of violations related to submission of statistical data, give instructions to correct them and make the respective corrections to the statistical data;

apply – within the scope of its powers – the administrative penalties in accordance with the law to the officials who violated the procedure for submitting statistical reports.

The state statistics bodies may also have other rights in accordance with the legislation.

The state statistics bodies shall be obliged to:

ensure compliance with the key principles of official statistics and the unity of statistical methodologies corresponding to international recommendations;

organize statistical observations on the implementation of state programs for socio-economic development of the country, territories, industries, and spheres;

organize and ensure the collection of statistical data, statistical observations of households, conducting censuses, one-time counts, sample surveys, and other statistical observations;

ensure the implementation of statistical programs;

provide statistical data to state regulatory and administration bodies;

make international and interregional statistical comparisons;

ensure maintaining statistical registers and a system of classifications for statistical purposes.

The state statistics bodies may also bear other obligations in accordance with the legislation.

Other producers of official statistics shall have the right to:

choose primary data sources, obtain and collect data required to produce official statistics directly from respondents;

provide incentives to respondent individuals for participation in statistical observations;

establish methods for respondents to collect primary data.

Other producers of official statistics may also have other rights in accordance with the legislation.

Other producers of official statistics shall be obliged to:

ensure compliance with the key principles of official statistics and the unity of statistical methodologies corresponding to international recommendations;

ensure the implementation of statistical programs;

collect primary data, taking into account the quality of statistics, the cost of providing data, and the burden on respondents;

process, disseminate, and store the collected data in accordance with the provisions of this Law and the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Personal Data";

inform respondents about the purpose and legal basis of the statistical observations, as well as their rights, obligations, and confidentiality of the individual data obtained.

Other producers of official statistics may also have other obligations in accordance with the legislation.

A respondent shall be an individual or a legal entity that provides official statistics producers with individual and other data for statistical purposes.

Respondents shall have the right to receive explanations and information from producers of official statistics about the purpose and legal basis of statistical observations, as well as information about ensuring confidentiality of individual data obtained.

When conducting statistical observations according to statistical programs, respondents – with the exception of cases stipulated by part five of this Article, shall be obliged to:

provide the producers of official statistics with reliable and complete data on a free-of-charge basis in accordance with the procedure and within the time-frame established by the producer of official statistics;

correct, update, supplement, and submit data to the producers of official statistics within the time-frame established by them, if according to their findings or the findings of the producers of official statistics the data submitted is not correct, not up-to-date and (or) incomplete.

Respondents may provide statistics to the producers of official statistics in paper or electronic form. In this case, the methods of statistical data collection shall be established by the producers of official statistics.

Respondents participating in the censuses conducted in certain areas of demographic and socio-economic development of the country shall have the right to provide reliable individual data according to the form of the census paper and shall be obliged not to hinder the census processes.

The providers of administrative data shall include the state administration and economic management bodies, as well as local executive authorities that provide administrative data to producers of official statistics.

Providers of administrative data that own databases of individuals and legal entities shall have the right - within the scope of their powers – to:

form individual data on matters within the scope of their powers for administrative purposes;

choose primary data sources for the formation of administrative data;

establish data collection methods, obtain, and collect the necessary data directly from individuals or legal entities, and households.

Providers of administrative data that own databases of individuals and legal entities shall be obliged to provide producers of official statistics on free-of-charge basis with the following:

administrative data at their disposal;

metadata to assess the quality of statistical data.

Provision of administrative data to producers of official statistics shall be carried out according to the forms and periodicity established in the annual statistical program.

Users of official statistics may be individuals or legal entities (including their separate subdivisions, branches, and representative offices).

Users of official statistics shall have the right to:

freely use statistical data published on official websites of producers of official statistics and in the media;

request the producers of official statistics to obtain open statistical data that is not published on official websites and in the media, or propose their publication.

Users of official statistics shall be obliged to indicate the sources of statistical data that they have used in their products (works and services).

Access to individual data and confidential data for research purposes shall be provided in accordance with the procedure stipulated in Articles 30 and 31 of this Law.

The authorized state body shall ensure the preparation of statistical programs in cooperation with other producers of official statistics, users of official statistics, respondents and providers of administrative data.

Statistical programs shall be submitted to the Statistical Council for review.

The authorized state body jointly with other producers of official statistics that are part of the national statistical system shall ensure the implementation of statistical programs.

Statistical programs can be multi-year and annual.

The multi-year statistical program shall be developed as a whole for the national statistical system and determine the strategic areas of development of official statistics.

The multi-annual statistical program shall consist of the concept, strategic objectives, and priority areas of development of the national statistical system, as well as mechanisms of implementation of program measures for the development of official statistics.

The annual statistical program shall be developed to implement the multi-year statistical program.

The annual statistical program shall include the following tasks:

determination of priority areas for the development of official statistics;

organization of statistical observations to be carried out by producers of official statistics;

preparation and provision of administrative data to producers of official statistics;

development and maintenance of statistical registers;

dissemination of official statistics.

The annual statistical program shall include a list of statistical data produced and disseminated by each producer of official statistics, indicating the periodicity and terms of their production.

Multi-year and annual statistical programs after their consideration by the Statistical Council shall be submitted by the authorized state body to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, respectively, for approval.

Multi-year statistical programs shall be approved by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and annual statistical programs shall be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Producers of official statistics shall be provided with financial and material and technical resources to implement statistical programs.

Funding of statistical programs shall be carried out at the expense of the State budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan and other sources, not prohibited by law.

Funding of work not included in the statistical programs shall be carried out at the expense of individuals and legal entities initiating this work.

Statistical observations shall be the processes of primary collection of individual and other respondent data conducted by producers of official statistics for statistical purposes using statistical methodologies.

Statistical observations can be continuous and sampling-based, and must be carried out in accordance with statistical programs.

Continuous statistical observations shall be carried out on the basis of statistical reporting forms approved by the authorized state body.

Sampling-based statistical observations shall be conducted on the basis of statistical observation forms approved by the producers of official statistics. In sampling-based statistical observations carried out by producers of official statistics, respondents and households shall participate on a voluntary basis.

The census shall be an action ensuring obtaining data on the number and structure of the population, housing, the structure and condition of economic units, and other data on a continuous basis.

The census can be conducted on certain characteristics and areas of demographic and socio-economic development of the country, as well as carried out in the entire territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan or in certain areas of the country.

Individual data of respondents shall be collected according to the questions set by the Census Program approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Census data can be generated from statistical observations, administrative data, or a combination of both.

Decision on conducting census with indication of date and term, as well as sources of financing shall be made by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the proposal of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Statistical registers shall be the lists of statistical units and their characteristics, including identifiers required for statistical purposes.

State bodies and their subordinate organizations, which create and maintain registers and databases on individuals and legal entities, shall provide free-of-charge to producers of official statistics the information necessary for formation and timely updating of statistical registers.

Administrative data shall be used by producers of official statistics exclusively for statistical purposes.

Providers of administrative data and other legal entities may not invoke confidentiality clauses when providing data in their possession, unless the law expressly excludes the provision and use of data for statistical purposes.

Individual data available to producers of official statistics shall be used exclusively for statistical purposes to compile summary statistical data.

Individual data may not be used by state bodies, citizens' self-government bodies, or other organizations, including international organizations, for purposes of investigation, control, judicial proceedings, administrative decisions, or for other purposes concerning individuals or legal entities or households.

Statistical data collected, processed, and stored for the production of official statistics shall be confidential if it allows the direct or indirect identification of individuals or legal entities and disclose the individual data concerning them.

Confidential statistical data shall include:

data that allow the identification of a statistical unit in the disclosure of individual data about it;

generalized indicators that require ensuring confidentiality of statistical data;

information classified as state secrets and other secrets protected by law.

When assuming the functions of official statistics, the obligation of maintaining confidentiality shall be signed by:

all full-time and temporary employees of producers of official statistics;

persons not related to the national statistical system who participate in the census.

The obligation to maintain the confidentiality of official statistics shall continue remaining in force even after the persons referred to in part one of this Article cease to perform their functions or for the period established in the signed document on maintaining confidentiality.

Persons involved in the production of official statistics shall – within the scope of their official duties – have access to individual data to produce official statistics to the extent necessary.

Producers of official statistics shall not disclose individual data to users of official statistics.

Individual data may be produced and published when data processing involves the removal of identifiers, or when respondents cannot be identified.

The authorized state body shall have the right to obtain individual data, including identifiers, from other producers of official statistics on the basis of normative legal acts and agreements signed between the parties.

Producers of official statistics may – within the scope of their powers – obtain the following individual data from the authorized state body solely for statistical purposes:

data without identifiers;

data on statistical units with identifiers exclusively from statistical registers.

Each case of provision of individual data by the authorized state body to other producers of official statistics shall be carried out on the basis of a signed agreement.

Producers of official statistics may – at the request of persons performing research work – provide them with access to confidential statistical data in anonymized form.

Confidential statistical data provided for research purposes shall not contain identifiers. Confidential statistical data shall be limited to information necessary for research purposes.

Access to confidential statistical data shall be granted on condition that there is no risk of a breach of the procedure for individual data protection.

Confidential statistical data shall be provided on the basis of a contract that specifies the purpose, conditions of data use, and obligations of the user of official statistics to report the results of the study, not to publish and not to transfer data to third parties.

The contract shall provide for a fee as compensation for additional costs incurred as a result of data preparation.

Persons who will work with confidential statistical data as part of a research project must not attempt to identify respondents in any way, disclose individual data or generalized indicators calculated on their basis to third parties, use confidential statistical data for purposes other than those specified in the contract.

Producers of official statistics shall provide all regulatory, administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect individual data and confidential generalized indicators and prevent their disclosure.

Employees of producers of official statistics, including temporarily hired employees, who have direct access to individual data shall be obliged to keep this data confidential during their activities and after their termination in the respective position.

Producers of official statistics may process and store individual data with identifiers for as long as necessary for statistical purposes in accordance with the procedure established by them.

An identifier can provide direct identification, that is, the identification of a single statistical unit based on a single identifier or a combination of identifiers.

The identification of the statistical unit can also be detected indirectly through other additional data.

All individual data collection forms with identifiers, including electronic ones, must be destroyed as soon as they are no longer needed for statistical purposes.

Producers of official statistics shall assess the quality of official statistics on an ongoing basis. To ensure quality assurance, official statistics shall be produced and disseminated on the basis of general principles and methods concerning the coverage, definitions, statistical units, and classifications of official statistics.

In order to improve the quality of official statistics, producers of official statistics shall have the right to analyze and edit data, combine data from different sources, link and compare data for statistical purposes, and use statistical methods to assess them.

Producers of official statistics shall document the sources and methods used in the production process as well as the resulting data sets. Users of official statistics shall be informed about the sources and methods of production of statistics and about the quality of official statistics by means of metadata.

Producers of official statistics shall regularly consult users of official statistics on the quality of official statistics.

Users of official statistics shall be consulted by:

conducting user surveys;

public discussion of statistical programs and forms of statistical observations.

Producers of official statistics shall request feedback from respondents on the content and quality of the statistics to further improve them.

Internal and external experts can conduct assessments of the institutional environment, processes, and results of the national statistical system.

Statistical methodologies shall be a system of methods, rules, and principles used in the production and dissemination of official statistics.

The use of statistical methodology shall be mandatory in the formation of official statistics.

The development and approval of statistical methodology shall be carried out by the producers of official statistics within the scope of their powers in accordance with international methodologies and recommendations.

Interference of state bodies, their officials, as well as other persons in the formation of statistical methodology shall not be allowed.

Producers of official statistics can collaborate with research organizations to evaluate and improve statistical methodology.

Providers of administrative data shall agree obligatorily with the authorized state body and voluntarily with other producers of official statistics on the content, methodology, and list of data they collect, including the procedure for amending them.

Official statistics shall be published in order to analyze and assess the socio-economic development of the country and to conduct research work, as well as to inform the public, ensure the rights and legitimate interests of users of official statistics.

Official statistics shall be published in full compliance with the key principles of official statistics, as well as by ensuring the confidentiality of individual statistical data and providing equal access to all.

Producers of official statistics shall be obliged to publish official statistics within the time-frame stipulated by the statistical program and the calendar for the publication of official statistics.

Official statistical data containing state secrets and other secrets protected by law shall not be published and shall be made available in accordance with the procedure established by law.

The public shall be informed of any change in the date of publication of official statistics prior to the scheduled publication date.

Official statistics shall be published along with metadata and explanatory notes. Access to official statistics shall be provided by publishing them on official websites of producers of official statistics and in the media.

Producers of official statistics shall have the right to provide – upon request from users of official statistics – statistical data, printed publications, and other materials subjected to additional processing on a fee basis.

When publishing preliminary statistical data that is subject to further revision, it shall be indicated as preliminary.

Information about amendments caused by changes in statistical methodologies shall be published in advance on the official website of producers of official statistics in order to inform the public about them.

Dissemination of official statistics shall be coordinated by the authorized state body.

Producers of official statistics shall – within the scope of their powers – cooperate with producers of official statistics of other countries and international organizations on the development and introduction of statistical methodologies, guidelines and recommendations, as well as exchange of information.

Disputes arising in the field of official statistics shall be resolved in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation.

Persons guilty of violating the official statistics legislation shall bear responsibility in accordance with the legislation.

Repeal:

1) the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated December 12, 2002 No. 441-II "On State Statistics" (Bulletin of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2002, No. 12, Art. 219);

2) the Resolution of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated December 12, 2002 No. 442-II "On Enactment of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On State Statistics" (Bulletin of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2002, No. 12, Art. 220);

3) Article 3 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated December 20, 2005 No. ZRU-16 "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Connection with Streamlining of the Taxation and Reporting System of Business Entities" (Bulletin of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2005, No. 12, Art. 415);

4) the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. ZRU-253 dated September 3, 2010 "On State Sanitary Supervision" and Article 5 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On State Statistics" (Bulletin of the Chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2010, No. 9, Art. 333);

5) the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated January 3, 2012 No. ZRU-315 "On Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On State Statistics" (Bulletin of the Chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2012, No. 1, Art. 1);

6) Article 26 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated December 29, 2015 No. ZRU-396 "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan" (Bulletin of the Chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2015, No. 12, Art. 452);

7) Article 145 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 21, 2021 No. ZRU-683 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan" (Bulletin of the Chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2021, Annex to No. 4).

The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics and other concerned organizations shall ensure the execution of this Law, its communication to the executors, and explanation of its essence and meaning among the population.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan shall:

bring government decisions in line with this Law;

ensure that state administration bodies review and abolish their normative legal acts that contradict with this Law.

This Law shall enter into force on the date of its official publication.