On September 17, 2026, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine (Ukrstat) convened a joint meeting of international stakeholders and development partners working to transform the national official statistics system. This marked the first time all international partners engaged in this process came together in a single forum.
The meeting launched a new cooperation format designed to make partner support more systematic and aligned. Its goal is to establish a shared understanding of Ukrstat's strategic priorities, gain a comprehensive view of projects and initiatives, better coordinate areas of collaboration, and identify issues requiring further attention.
Over 35 participants joined the dialogue, including representatives from European governments and national statistical offices, international organisations, technical assistance programs, and other partner institutions.
Ukrstat presented its strategic development vision, key transformation areas, and tasks related to Ukraine’s integration into the European Statistical System. For the first time, all projects and partner initiatives were reviewed within a unified strategic context - examining how they complement one another and align with the development priorities of official statistics.
Statistics in the EU Accession Negotiation Process
Official statistics constitute a crucial component of the negotiation process regarding Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Within the framework of Cluster 1, "Fundamentals of the EU Accession Process," Ukrstat is working to fulfil the requirements of Chapter 18, "Statistics." This process involves aligning the Ukrainian statistical system with EU norms and practices, improving legislation, methodology, and processes, strengthening Ukrstat's institutional and professional capacity, and ensuring the Service's operational independence.
The practical dimension of this work lies in Ukraine's ability to produce high-quality, reliable, and internationally comparable data and to transmit them regularly to Eurostat and other international organisations in accordance with established requirements.
Expertise that strengthens Ukrstat’s capacity
A significant portion of the support Ukrstat receives from international partners is expert and methodological in nature. Partners engage specialists, provide consultations, share the experience of national statistical offices from other countries, and work alongside Ukrstat teams to apply European approaches within the Ukrainian context.
At the heart of this cooperation is the strengthening of Ukrstat’s own capacity. Working with international experts helps the team master modern methodologies and tools, develop internal expertise, and embed the knowledge gained into the agency's daily operations.
Arsen Makarchuk, Chair of Ukrstat, emphasised that fulfilling European integration tasks in the field of statistics requires consistent effort, significant resource support, and a strong professional team:
"Concrete factors measure European integration in statistics: the data we produce, the methodology used, the quality of that data, and our ability to transmit it regularly to Eurostat. As part of the negotiation process under Chapter 18, Ukraine must also meet two clearly defined benchmarks. To achieve this, the State Statistics Service requires strong internal capacity alongside state support. That is why expert support from partners is so valuable to us: we work together, adopt best practices, and build competencies that remain within the institution."
Areas of partner support
International support covers key areas of the transformation of official statistics. These include developing statistical registers and using administrative data; modernising household, macroeconomic, and business statistics; and developing geospatial and community-level statistics.
Cooperation also encompasses quality management in statistical operations, the development of digital tools and infrastructure, the alignment of legislation with EU requirements, staff professional development, and the strengthening of coordination within the national statistical system.
The inaugural joint coordination meeting provided an opportunity to present the partnership collaboration as a cohesive system for the first time: aligning ongoing projects and initiatives with the State Statistics Service’s strategic priorities, identifying how they complement one another, and pinpointing areas requiring further attention.
Partners shared their vision and proposals for future interaction. This feedback will help better to align support with the State Statistics Service’s needs and build future cooperation based on a shared understanding of goals, work areas, and current initiatives.
This dialogue will continue. Practical cooperation needs and the progress of work in specific areas will determine its format and frequency. The State Statistics Service is grateful to its partners for their trust, professional dialogue, openness to collaboration, and willingness to invest time and expertise in developing the Ukrainian statistical system.