Official Statistics and Government Decision Making: A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis of Policy-Related Academic Research

In this article, we conduct the first comprehensive bibliometric and thematic analysis of academic research involving official statistics and government decision making. By systematically analyzing the volume, trends, and impact of publications, we map the research and policy landscape, identify key research and policy topics, and uncover trends in the use of official statistics. We find that the use of official statistics data is more prevalent and has a greater impact on monetary policy research compared to other areas of policy making. We also observe a gradual transition from policy-related academic research on traditional topics, such as inflation, employment and economic growth, toward sustainability topics, such as renewable energy, carbon neutrality, green finance, and energy poverty. In addition, we provide ample evidence that China is becoming one of the most important sources of policy-related academic research, both domestically and globally. There is a mutual relationship between the official statistics authorities and the policy community, where both groups benefit from and contribute to the data’s relevance and reliability.