Utilization and Development of Big Data for Official Statistics

The tremendous advances that have been made in information and communication technology have led to a concomitant increase in the production and accumulation of big data in various sectors. And as big data has grown, governments, private enterprise and academia are coming paying it more and more attention. Public statistics bureaus and administrative agencies have accumulated large amounts of data implementing their own systems, while private sector companies have compiled enormous amounts of data in their production and sales processes. Big data has a significant impact on both the public and private sectors, offering many opportunities but also posing challenges and risks, especially with regards to the production of official statistics. Big data as an alternative to traditional statistics has been extensively discussed internationally, as scholars address the limits of the classical statistical method and the timeliness of traditional statistics. In addition, many international organizations, including the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), have investigated a new methodology for using big data in the production of official statistics. For its part, Korea has actively promoted the use of big data as well as administrative and public data. This paper examines the fundamental essence of big data in order to better define it, attempts to grasp the international issues surrounding its use, investigates the Korean government’s relevant policies and finally, analyzes individual case studies as they apply to official statistics, concluding with policy suggestions based on the findings within.