Page 249 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 2

IPS236 Eva L.
Keywords
Globalization; IT development; statistical culture; ethics; cooperation

1. Introduction
The roots of statistics date back centuries, millenniums, its emergence can
be linked to the formation of class societies, states. Statistics was used first in
taxation and strategy of states. Population censuses played an outstanding
role among the sources, data were collected on the population of the states
and the economic, social processes that were considered important at that
time.
Due to the development of sciences and technology, official statistics was
created in the 18th century (as a component of modern national state),
followed by the successive creation of national statistical societies. European
statistical offices and national statistical societies were established one after
the other in the second half of the 19th century. The Hungarian Royal
Statistical Office was also established in that period (1871), the Hungarian
Statistical Association was founded only later, in 1922.
In the seventies in the 20th century IT development had a strong influence
on statistics, register-based statistics appeared including the system of data
protection too. The European Statistical System was also established in that
period as well.
The 2010s have brought unprecedented changes in statistics; globalisation
and information explosion have created a fundamentally new situation for
statisticians and users of statistics.

2. Methodology

2.1. Current challenges
The goals of statistics that have emerged since the first half of the
nineteenth century were quite similar, they are in many respect “evergreen”
goals. Economic, social processes, the development of sciences and
technology have continuously changed during the decades,and have
influenced the functioning of statistics and national statistical societies.
The decade, the years after the turn of the millennium have brought
changes more significant than ever. Information society, the new
communication channels, the modern IT and telecommunication systems have
created new situations, phenomena not known earlier in the contacts
between people. Nowadays one of the greatest challenges for statisticians is
the observation of the new phenomena, processes of our globalising world,
the correct interpretation of integrated processes.
Besides observing the new phenomena, statistics has the possibility to
apply new methodologies, technology, technical tools, nowadays the use of

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