World Statistics Day 2025 - Chief Guest's Address by Mr. Hao Zhang, UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives

The Maldives Statistical Pocket Book and Maldives' Demographic Trajectory: 2022-2062 offers critical insights into the nation's future

Your Excellency, Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed, Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Mr. Phuntsho Wangyel, Officer-in-Charge for the UNFPA Sri Lanka and Maldives Country Offices, Ms. Aishath Hassan, Chief Statistician, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers from Government Ministries, Esteemed members of the Diplomatic Community, State Owned Enterprises, Civil Society, Colleagues from the Maldives Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations, Ladies and Gentlemen, Assalaamu Alaikum and Good morning.

It is a profound honor to celebrate World Statistics Day 2025 here in the beautiful Maldives. The United Nations celebrates this day every five years to recognize the vital role of official statistics. This year's theme, "Quality statistics and data for everyone," aligns perfectly with the UN's core mission to ensure no one is left behind.

In our complex and fast-moving world, high-quality, trusted data is much more than just numbers. It acts as the compass guiding our development, the mirror reflecting our progress, and the engine driving informed decisions.

The Maldives Statistical Pocket Book and Maldives' Demographic Trajectory: 2022-2062 released today offers critical insights into the nation's future and its current economic health. This comprehensive projection is a crucial tool for long-term national planning. It provides a strategic view of future demands for essentials like housing, education, healthcare, and infrastructure, which directly determine the quality of life for every Maldivian.

The findings will highlight key shifts, such as changes in the dependency. I commend the Maldives Bureau of Statistics and UNFPA for this essential and rigorous work. Understanding future population landscape is the first, crucial step toward sustainable development and securing a prosperous future.

The Labour Market Information and GDP released today provided a crucial, real-time snapshot of the Maldivian economy - it helps us to check the economic pulse of Maldivian economy. The Q3 Labour Force Survey gives us timely data on employment, unemployment, and labor participation. We will learn how key sectors are evolving, analyze employment patterns for youth and women, and review the status of the local versus expatriate workforce. This evidence is vital for the government to design targeted vocational programs, create new jobs, and enhance Maldivianization within the labor market.

Simultaneously, the latest Quarterly GDP figures at Current Prices will illuminate the recent performance of the economy. Given the Maldives' reliance on the tourism sector, this data is essential for understanding sectoral contributions and the pace of economic recovery and diversification.

The statistics released today-from long-range projections to immediate economic indicators-all underscore our central theme: the need for quality statistics and data for everyone. This commitment requires us to focus on three key pillars: Trustworthiness, accessibility and Innovation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we mark the 60^th anniversary of Maldives membership in the UN and the 80^th anniversary of UN, I affirm the UN's strong commitment to supporting the Maldives Bureau of Statistics in its capacity-building efforts. The journey toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is inherently data-driven. We can only track our progress toward goals like climate action, sustainable tourism, and quality education with robust, disaggregated, and timely statistics.

In closing, let us all take a moment to recognize the statisticians and data professionals across the Maldives for their tireless efforts. You are the invisible heroes whose work forms the very foundation.

May these new statistics empower every stakeholder to contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future for the Republic of Maldives.

Thank you