The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has received the go-ahead to lead an international working group delivering a programme of work to build evidence that will improve understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with an ageing global population.

“It’s a tremendous honour to be asked to take a lead on such a vital issue,” said UK National Statistician John Pullinger. Mr Pullinger was speaking after the announcement was made at the 49th Session of the United Nations’ Statistical Commission (UNSC) in New York at the weekend.

The UN has placed a high priority on addressing ageing-related issues in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), part of its 2030 Agenda, designed to “leave no one behind”. To achieve this, policy-makers and providers of public services will need trustworthy and relevant statistics to inform their actions. We are proud to lead the task of identifying and developing these data sources.

The programme will be led by ONS and will bring together representatives from the international statistical community and from other international agencies, civil society and academia

They will work to build a body of knowledge that can be shared and help to underpin the delivery and measurement of initiatives relating to older people and ageing.

The group will meet for the first time in June this year in the UK. It will initially operate for a five-year period, from 2018 to 2023, and report to the UN Statistical Commission at its sessions in 2019, 2021 and 2023.

Notes to editors

The UNSC meeting was informed by a report prepared by National Statistical Institutes, with the Department for International Development, HelpAge International, UN Women, UN Development Programme, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN Population Fund, World Health Organisation and Southampton University.