Official Statistics

Question 1

What are official statistics?

Answer 1

Official statistics are quantitative data collected by government bodies. This method is favoured by positivists because data is quick, cheap and easy to access, and it covers a wide range of social issues.

Question 2

Official statistics: advantages

Answer 2

• Practical - cheap, easy to obtain and easy to access. For example, through the Office of National Statistic’s website.
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• Collected at regular interviews, so you can compare trends over time. For example, the census is completed every 10 years.
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• Representative - official statistics often cover large groups of people. For example, crime statistics are compiled by police across the entire country.

Question 3

Official statistics: disadvantages

Answer 3

• The government collects these statistics for its own benefit, so they may not cover what sociologists specifically want to study.
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• Definitions may be different. For example, what the government considers ‘poverty may not be the same as a sociologist.