NewzIntel.com

Category: Statistics

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard Q2 2024

    Source: ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard Q2 2024

    Gisborne the country’s top performer in ASB’s latest Regional Economic Scoreboard

     

    • Gisborne claims first place on the leaderboard for first time in more than four years
    • Biggest drops seen in Southland, down from first spot to ninth, and Marlborough, falling from fourth place to second-to-last
    • Despite signs of optimism in housing market and export growth in some regions, economic outlook to remain sluggish until 2025.

    Growth is on the horizon, according to ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard released today. The Scoreboard ranks regions based on year-on-year growth across a range of measures, including employment, building consents and retail sales.

     Scoreboard data for the April to June quarter paints a fairly bleak picture but ASB Senior Economist Chris Tennent-Brown expects inflation pressures to ease further by the end of the year, leading to a brighter 2025.  

    “The unemployment rate rose to a three-year high of 4.6% in Q2, and we expect this to move above 5% by the end of the year. The construction outlook remains soft and household spending is weak, as cost of living pressures bite.

    “However, we’re seeing some positive signs in the housing market with house sales increasing by 6.8%, and prices rising by 2.2% this past quarter, and we can expect it to pick up with a bit more speed in 2025.

    “Exports for Q2 were $26.26bn, up from $25.99bn a year ago, with dairy still our most attractive offering. Our 2024 growth forecasts for some of our key trading partners have been revised higher which is good news for the country. Much like the rest of the economy however, growth is expected to remain below average for 2024, with weakness in China a concern.”

    Gisborne claims top spot on scoreboard

    For the first time in more than four years, Gisborne has claimed the top spot on the scoreboard, largely due to the post-cyclone rebuild in the region. Annual construction consents rose sharply by 40.8%, driven by a 152.8% increase in non-residential building.  Annual house sales growth was the second highest in the country at 25.8%, and employment performed well, growing 3.6% year-on-year and exceeding the national average of 1.6% growth.

    “It’s fantastic to see Gisborne make a comeback on the scoreboard, and we saw the same post-cyclone rebuild having a positive impact for Hawke’s Bay in the rankings last year.  We expect this forward momentum for the region to continue in the short-term.”

    Otago and Canterbury round out the podium

    Otago remained steady in second place, while Canterbury climbed four spots to claim bronze, with both regions differentiating themselves from other parts of the country.  

    Otago generated the highest house price growth across the country, which rose 4.4% annually at double the national 2.2% average.  Otago also showed strength in the labour market, with employment increasing 5.5% annually, the strongest pace of all the regions. Meanwhile, Cantabrians’ above-average consumer confidence showed in their spending, with retail sales growing at the fastest rate in the country at 2.5% annually, compared to a decline of 0.4% nationwide.

    Marlborough and Southland see biggest declines to scoreboard positions

    Marlborough’s position in the top four in Q1 was short-lived, with declines across construction, real estate and employment informing the region’s second-to-last placing. Tennent-Brown says the region’s most famous export could be the key to growth in future quarters.

    “Marlborough enjoyed a spectacular 2024 wine season and if wine exports pick up as we head into summer, the region could see some much-needed momentum in the next 6-12 months.”

    The full ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard, along with other recent ASB reports covering a range of commentary, can be accessed at our ASB Economic Insights page: https://www.asb.co.nz/documents/economic-insights.html

    www.asb.co.nz

    About the ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard

    The NZ Regional Economic Scoreboard takes the latest quarterly regional statistics and ranks the economic performance of New Zealand’s 16 Regional Council areas. The fastest growing regions gain the highest ratings, and a good performance by the national economy raises the ratings of all regions. Ratings are updated every three months, and are based on 11 measures, including employment, construction, retail trade, and house prices.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ information release: Injury statistics – work-related claims: 2023

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Injury statistics – work-related claims: 2023 – 24 September 2024 – Injury statistics for work-related claims give information about claims accepted by ACC for work-related injuries.

    Key facts

    • A total of 226,600 work-related injury claims were made in 2023 (up 1,200 from 2022).
    • The incidence rate for claims related to work-related injuries was 86 claims per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) in 2023. This is the lowest rate since the start of the series in 2002.
    • The manufacturing; agriculture, forestry, and fishing; and construction industries had the highest incidence rates of work-related injury claims in 2023.
    • Trades workers had the highest number of claims by occupation in 2023, with 39,000 claims.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this information release:

     

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stats NZ information release: Injury statistics – work-related claims: 2023

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Injury statistics – work-related claims: 2023 – 24 September 2024 – Injury statistics for work-related claims give information about claims accepted by ACC for work-related injuries.

    Key facts

    • A total of 226,600 work-related injury claims were made in 2023 (up 1,200 from 2022).
    • The incidence rate for claims related to work-related injuries was 86 claims per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) in 2023. This is the lowest rate since the start of the series in 2002.
    • The manufacturing; agriculture, forestry, and fishing; and construction industries had the highest incidence rates of work-related injury claims in 2023.
    • Trades workers had the highest number of claims by occupation in 2023, with 39,000 claims.

    Visit our website to read this information release:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: No RBA rate cut yet, but Governor Bullock is about to find the pressure overwhelming

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

    Who’d want to be Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock? On Tuesday she had to do the almost impossible: defend a decision not to cut interest rates at a time when they were being cut in just about every other major industrial nation.

    On Thursday the US Federal Reserve joined the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and central banks in China, Sweden and the European Union in what its officials expect to be a series of cuts, kicking off with a double-header: a cut of 0.50 percentage points instead of the usual 0.25.

    In her press conference after Tuesday’s board meeting Governor Bullock said disinflation was “further advanced” in those countries than it was in Australia.

    Australian interest rates were “restrictive” (high enough to hurt) but were working “broadly as anticipated”.

    While household spending was weaker than had been expected, it would be

    some time yet before inflation is sustainably in the target range.

    But the problem with what she said, both after the meeting and in her statement, is inflation is probably already within the target range.

    Credibility gap

    The Reserve Bank’s target is 2-3%. Inflation hasn’t been there since it surged in 2021 as much of the world came out of lockdowns.

    On Wednesday, the day after Bullock’s announcement, the Bureau of Statistics will release the monthly consumer price index for August. It’s expected to be the first to show inflation back between 2% and 3%.

    Westpac is expecting an annual rate of 2.7%, comfortably back within the target band. When the more-comprehensive quarterly measure is released next month, Westpac is expecting 2.9%.

    If inflation is 2.7%, how can it be too high?

    Bullock squares her view that inflation is not yet moving sustainably towards the target with the reality that it is probably already there by saying she expects it to “pop back up again” when the temporary effect of electricity bill rebates wears off.

    The Commonwealth government announced $3.5 billion worth of rebates in the May budget. They will be applied automatically to electricity bills for each of the next four quarters, and topped by several of the states. In Queensland, they amount to $1,300 per household.

    A staged rollout means the rebates hit bills in only Queensland and West Australia in July and will hit other states in August. The Bureau of Statistics says they took 6.4% off the average national power price in July and Westpac expects them to take off a further 15% in August.

    A permanent 10% increase in the maximum rate of Commonwealth rent assistance delivered last week will put further downward pressure on inflation.

    It’s easy to see why Bullock thinks the temporary measures should be disregarded.

    The RBA says what matters is underlying inflation

    Bullock is directing attention to the Reserve Bank’s preferred measure of underlying inflation, a measure that excludes sharp movements and gives a better idea of where typical prices are heading.

    At 3.9% for the year to the June quarter, she says that measure is still too high. But it has been falling for each of the past six quarters and is on track to fall to 3.5% in the September quarter. By my way of thinking, that shows inflation is moving “sustainably towards the target range” in the way she says she wants.

    As in the US and the UK and New Zealand and all the other countries with which we compare ourselves, inflation doesn’t need to be actually back to the target before the authorities ease off on high interest rates. If they waited that long they would overshoot and push inflation too low.

    But headline inflation matters in its own right

    In any event, a low headline inflation rate is important in its own right, however it is achieved. It’s the rate the Reserve Bank prints at the top of its website, the rate that’s published in the media and the rate that people experience.

    If inflation is actually low, however that is brought about, shoppers become less tolerant of price rises (something the Reserve Bank says is happening) and less keen to demand high wage rises (something that is also happening).

    They also become less keen to rush out and buy things before their price goes up, something that can perpetuate high inflation.

    Right now we are doing everything but rushing out to push up prices.

    A briefing note prepared by the Australian Council of Social Service ahead of Tuesday’s Reserve Bank board meeting says real household disposable income per capita has fallen by almost 8% since inflation and interest rates began climbing, far more than in the US, the UK, Germany and Canada.

    Bullock is about to get more chances to cut

    There’s a chance the tax cuts that began in July will give spending a bit of a boost but much of whatever extra spending there is will be on imports, and the steadily climbing Australian dollar is making them cheaper by the day.

    The Australian dollar hit a new high for the year of 68.5 US cents on Tuesday on the back of a widening differential between US and Australian interest rates as the US cuts rates.

    Governor Bullock gets two more opportunities to cut rates this year, at the board meeting on Melbourne Cup Tuesday November 5 shortly after news of very low inflation in the September quarter, and on December 9 shortly after news of economic growth likely to show income per person going further backwards.

    There’s a fair chance she will take one of them.

    Peter Martin is Economics Editor of The Conversation.

    – ref. No RBA rate cut yet, but Governor Bullock is about to find the pressure overwhelming – https://theconversation.com/no-rba-rate-cut-yet-but-governor-bullock-is-about-to-find-the-pressure-overwhelming-239603

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Quarterly Housing Statistics in the year to end of June 2024

    Source: Scottish Government

    An Accredited Official Statistics Publication for Scotland.

    There was a 17% decrease in all sector housebuilding starts and completions between 2023 and 2024 (year ending June).

    In the 12 months ending June 2024, there were 19,293 homes built and 15,296 new builds started. All sector completions and starts were 17% lower than the previous 12 months.

    The private sector built 14,240 homes and the social sector built 5,053 homes. In terms of starts, building work on 11,795 was started by the private sector and 3,501 homes by the social sector.

    Excluding 2020 (where Covid-19 impacted housebuilding) completions were the lowest since the year to end of June 2018 and starts the lowest since the year to end of June 2013 in both the social and private sector.

    In terms of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, in the year to the end of June 2024, there were 6,966 approvals, 6,422 starts, and 9,295 completions of affordable homes. The number of completions and starts were down by 14% (-1,556 homes) and 10% (-734 homes) respectively compared to the year to end June 2023. However, approvals increased by 15% (+906) between 2023 and 2024 (year ending June).

    These statistics are used to inform progress against Scottish Government affordable housing delivery target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% will be in rural and island communities. By June 2024, 22,743 affordable homes have been completed towards the target. These completions consist of 17,289 (76%) homes for social rent, 3,219 (14%) for affordable rent, and 2,235 (10%) for affordable home ownership.

    Background

    Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update

    Background information including Excel tables and explanatory information on data sources and quality can be found in the Housing Statistics webpages.

    Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Justice Social Work Statistics: 2023-24

    Source: Scottish Government

    An Accredited Official Statistics Publication for Scotland

    The Chief Statistician has released part 1 of the 2023-24 justice social work statistics. This includes information on justice social work services, as well as characteristics of the people involved. Part 2 will be published in early 2025.

    The number of diversion from prosecution cases commenced rose by 28 per cent between 2022-23 and 2023-24 from 2,600 to 3,400. This was the highest level in the last ten years.

    The number of bail supervision cases rose by 17 per cent between 2022-23 and 2023-24 to 1,300. This was the highest in the last ten years.

    There were 1,400 structured deferred sentences imposed in 2023-24. This was eight per cent more than in 2022-23 and the highest in the last six years.

    There were 1,100 statutory custody-based throughcare cases commenced in 2023-24, 18 per cent up on 940 in 2022-23. This was the highest in the last ten years.

    The number of statutory community-based throughcare cases commenced was 870 in 2023-24, three per cent down on 890 in 2022-23. This was the 2nd lowest level in the last ten years.

    Background

     Full statistical publication. Full statistical publication

    Accredited official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

     Justice social work statistics has been split into two parts for the first time this year. The splitting of the publication allows the reporting of part of the annual data collection to be provided to users about four months earlier.

     This part 1 publication provides statistics on the following areas of justice social work:

    • – Diversion from prosecution
    • – Fiscal work orders
    • – Bail supervision
    • – Structured deferred sentences
    • – Statutory/voluntary throughcare
    • – Pre-release reports
    • – Home detention curfew assessments
    • – Court-based services

    Information is provided for 2023-24 and, where possible, for the years back to 2014-15, in order to show trends over the last ten years. Tables at local authority area level, which have been updated to include 2023-24, have also been published. For part 1 topics, these tables contain ten years of data.

    The trend data supplied in the publication was impacted by the Coronavirus (Covid) pandemic. There were significant public health measures, including two national lockdowns, in place during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 recording years. For example, many courts were temporarily closed early in 2020-21 and there was reduced capacity when courts reopened. This means that statistics for most areas of justice social work were impacted in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Caution is advised in comparing data from these two years with other years.

    Further statistics on Justice Social Work

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Homelessness Statistics, 2023-24

    Source: Scottish Government

    A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

    An annual update on Homelessness Statistics covering 2023-24 has been released today.

    Findings for that period show:

    • There were 40,685 homelessness applications. An increase of 1,377 (4%) compared to 2022-23, and the highest since 2011-12.
    • There were 33,619 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. An increase of 1,088 (3%) compared to 2022-23, and the highest since 2011-12.
    • There were 31,870 live applications as at 31 March 2024. This compares to 29,408 at March 2023, and is the highest in the time series.
    • There were 16,330 households in temporary accommodation at 31 March 2024. This is 9% higher than 15,039 at 31 March 2023, and the highest in the time series.
    • The number of children in temporary accommodation is also the highest in the series, increasing to 10,110 from 9,595 (5%) between March 2023 and 2024.
    • The number of households reporting rough sleeping the night before application has increased from 1,493 to 1,916 and in the three months prior from 2,425 to 2,931.
    • The average time spent in temporary accommodation for cases that closed in 2023-24 was 226 days. This is one day higher than 2022-23. This compares to 292 days on average for cases that are still open.
    • 83% of households assessed as unintentionally homeless secured settled accommodation in 2023-24, the same as 2022-23.
    • The average length of time to close a homelessness case was 278 days for cases that closed in 2023-24. This is 11 days longer compared to 2022-23.
    • 58% of main applicants were male. This is the joint highest proportion along with 2020-21.
    • 79% of main applications were of a White ethnicity. This is the lowest proportion in the time series.

    Background

    The full statistical publication is available on our website.

    The Homelessness in Scotland: 2023-24 publication presents information on local authority homelessness applications, assessments and outcomes in the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, and places it in the context of longer term trends. It also provides data on the number of households in temporary accommodation throughout the same period.

    Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland is on the Scottish Government website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Background Press Call on President  Biden’s Engagements at  UNGA

    Source: The White House

    Via Teleconference

    5:33 P.M. EDT

    MODERATOR:  This is Michael Feldman with the NSC press team.  Just as a reminder for today’s call, it is on background and attributable to senior administration officials.  The call is also under embargo until 5:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time tomorrow morning.

    For awareness and not for attribution, on today’s call we have [senior administration official] and [senior administration official].  I will now turn the call over to [senior administration official] to give some opening remarks.  Over to you.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Excellent.  Thank you.  And good evening, everybody.  We’re very excited for the President’s trip to this year’s U.N. General Assembly, the last one of his presidency. 

    So, at meetings at the U.N. this week, we’re going to get a lot of business done for the American people.  The President, the Secretary of State, other Cabinet officials, and even some members of Congress are here in New York to advocate for our country’s interests and values. 

    At the General Assembly, the President will do what he has done throughout his presidency: rally global action to tackle some of our world’s biggest challenges.  So, for example, he’ll be talking this week about the climate crisis and the environment.  We’ll be talking about the need to strengthen our systems for providing humanitarian assistance; to end brutal wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan; and we’ll also be talking about the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. 

    When President Biden came to office nearly four years ago, he pledged to restore American leadership on the world stage.  And given that this is the President’s last General Assembly, it’s a chance for him to talk about how this approach has produced results, real achievements for the American people and for the world. 

    The President’s engagements this week reflect his vision for a world where countries come together to solve big problems.  This stands in contrast to some of our competitors, who have a more cynical and transactional worldview, one where countries interpret their self-interest very narrowly and don’t work together for the common good. 

    An overarching theme at this year’s General Assembly will be the need to reform and strengthen our global institutions, including the U.N., to make them more effective and inclusive.  And that’s been a big theme of the U.N. Secretary-General’s Summit for the Future, the marquee event at high-level week this year. 

    Last week, President Biden released a video message ahead of the summit.  I encourage you all watch it.  You can find it on the Web.  In the video, the President spoke about using this moment to reaffirm our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  And he talked about pushing for a stronger, more effective United Nations and a reformed and expanded Security Council.  And he also talked about our efforts, investing billions in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and building on the global consensus that we achieved last spring in the United Nations General Assembly on principles for the use of artificial intelligence. 

    We’re going into a General Assembly this year with the world facing many steep challenges, problems so big no one country can solve them on their own, but that’s why the President feels so strongly the world needs strong and effective global institutions, including an adapted United Nations.  This is his vision of countries working together.  It has been a theme of his presidency and an important part of his legacy. 

    Let me just briefly note the President’s key engagements, and then I’ll turn over to my colleague to discuss the major event that he’s hosting on the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. 

    On Tuesday morning, tomorrow, he will deliver and address to the U.N. General Assembly.  It will have many of the themes that I’ve mentioned here and talk about — again, some of the achievements of his approach to the United Nations and global cooperation. 

    The President will also meet tomorrow with U.N. Secretary-General Guterres to talk about how the United States and the United Nations are working together to advance peace, safeguard human rights, and help countries develop. 

    On Tuesday afternoon, the President will host a summit of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, and I’ll turn over to my colleague in a second to talk about that. 

    The President is also giving a major address later that afternoon on the urgent need to combat climate change. 

    On Wednesday, the President will meet with the President of Vietnam, To Lam.  The President of Vietnam just came into office four months ago, and this meeting will be an important opportunity for the two leaders to talk about our shared interest in stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia. 

    The President will also attend, that afternoon, a meeting focused on Ukraine reconstruction with other world leaders. 

    And then on Wednesday evening, at the Met, the President will host world leaders and senior U.N. officials for a reception. 

    This is just a small slice of all the diplomacy and business that we’re doing here at the U.N. General Assembly.  There’ll be high-level meetings on the future of multilateral cooperation, sea level rise, antimicrobial resistance.  Really, every big, major challenge will be addressed here, and we’ll have senior U.S. representatives at all of these main events on issues such as the impact of emerging technology and specific meetings on global crises such as the difficult situation in Haiti, Sudan, Venezuela, Ukraine, Syria, and the Rohingya refugee crisis. 

    Other U.S.-hosted and U.S.-attended side events will focus on climate; scaling clean energy for Africa; a major core group meeting of countries committed to LGBTQ rights that was attended by the First Lady; and partnering for a lead-free future. 

    So, again, this is just a small slice of everything that is going on, plus the countless private sector and civil society events focusing on the great challenges of the 21st century. 

    So, as I mentioned, we’re going to use this high-level week, the President’s last U.N. General Assembly, to get as much done for the American people in the coming days.

    I’d like to now turn over to my colleague who will discuss the President’s summit on the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Great.  Thanks so much, and thanks to all of you for joining this call. 

    I wanted to share with you the exciting news that, on Tuesday, President Biden will, as [senior administration official] already said, host a summit of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.  This is a coalition that President Biden launched in June 2023 to mobilize international action to tackle the synthetic drug crisis. 

    In just over one year, this global coalition has grown to include 158 countries and 15 international organizations working together to prevent the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs, to detect emerging drug threats, and to promote effective public health interventions. 

    With the summit as a motivating force, we now have 11 core coalition countries that will be joining the President tomorrow, and they will be announcing new initiatives that will continue to advance the work of the coalition, including work to prevent, detect, and disrupt the supply chain of synthetic drugs. 

    It’s important to emphasize that these international efforts complement intensive work that’s already been done and is being done domestically, including an increased focus on coordinated disruption of drug trafficking networks and concerted efforts to make the opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone, widely available over the counter. 

    These are just some of a wide array of actions that the Biden-Harris administration has taken to tackle the synthetic drug threats. 

    And as a result of these efforts, we’re starting to see the largest drop in overdose deaths in recorded history.  When President Biden and Vice President Harris came into office, the number of drug overdose deaths was increasing by more than 30 percent year over year.  Now we have the latest provisional data released from the Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, showing an unprecedented decline in overdose deaths of roughly 10 percent from April 2023 to April 2024.

    But there’s a lot more to be done, and the Global Coalition’s work recognizes that we need a global solution to a global problem. 

    We are thrilled that we have so many countries coming together tomorrow to celebrate the work of the coalition, and we also will be announcing a new pledge that all of the core coalition members will be announcing — will be signing on to tomorrow, and we will be working over the coming months to ensure that all coalition members sign on to this pledge. 

    And we truly think that this is a reflection of President Biden’s commitment to work both domestically and globally on the most important challenges that we face, recognizing that we need both domestic action and global action working together. 

    And with that, I’ll turn it back to [senior administration official].

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, Michael.  I’ll turn it back to you. 

    MODERATOR:  All right.  Thank you, [senior administration officials].  All right, with that, we will take some questions. 

    The first question is going to go to Zeke Miller.  You should be able to unmute yourself. 

    Q    Thanks so much for doing this.  You mentioned this is the President’s last U.N. of his presidency.  He’s going to deliver remarks to the General Assembly tomorrow.  Can you give us a preview, potentially, of what his message will be?  And will it be different from his prior remarks, in the sense — you know, obviously, world events have changed, but, you know, with an eye towards his legacy?  Or is there some message he’s trying to give on the world stage before he leaves office in January?  Thank you.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  You know, the themes I — thanks, Zeke.  The themes I previewed at the beginning will be really central to the President.  So, again, he came into office four years ago with a vision of America returning to the world stage, having a new way of interacting with other countries, bringing countries together to solve some of these big challenges.  This will be a good opportunity for him to look at the results that have been achieved. 

    We live in a world with many problems, with many divisions, but we have a story to tell about what we’ve done to rally the world to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, uphold principles of the U.N. Charter; what we’ve done to manage responsibly our competition with other countries including China; and also what we’re doing to deal with the ongoing and serious conflicts in our world in places like Gaza, where the President has worked tirelessly to get a hostage ceasefire deal, and conflicts like Sudan, where you have absolutely unprecedented displacement and a really serious crisis that we think needs to get more attention. 

    So I think that will be the frame, and I’ll leave the details for the President’s speech tomorrow.

    MODERATOR:  Great.  Thank you very much.  Our next question is going to go to Asma Khalid.  You should be able to unmute yourself.

    Q    Yes.  Hi.  Thanks for doing this.  Similarly, sort of on the speech, could I get a sort of broad, I guess, framework or tone that you all are thinking about?  I know you say that the President came into office talking about building international coalitions, wanting to rebuild the United States stature on the world, but this is a really different moment than when the President even gave the speech last year, before October 7th.  He is now leaving office, and there are multiple sort of intractable problems right now in the world.  And can you just kind of give us any sense of tone in how the President is thinking about that and the very limited time he has left to solve them?

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, Asma.  Look, I think it’s a good question.  The world has changed.  The world has gotten more difficult in many ways, as you noted. 

    But, you know, as I said, the President came into office with a vision of how countries need to work together, how they need to work through institutions, how they need to partner to solve big global challenges.  And the fact that we do have these challenges, the fact that we do have Gaza, the fact that we do have Ukraine and Sudan, still serious issues in our world, just underscores the need for that kind of cooperation.  And I think you’ll hear that in his speech. 

    Yes, he’ll talk about the significant accomplishments, achievements of his approach, but also talk about how we need the spirit, we need to continue working together to solve these big challenges, whether it is the wars you mentioned or other challenges such as the climate crisis or managing the implications of some of the new technologies. 

    So I think this will be an important moment to say: Where do we go and what are the principles in which we’re going to solve these problems?  Thanks.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  Our next question is going to go to Paris Huang.  You should be able to unmute yourself. 

    Q    All right.  Hi.  Thank you, Michael.  Thank you, [senior administration official].  Two-parts question.  So, kind of follow up on the questions from Zeke and Asma.  So, of course, we know China and Russia have been heavily influencing the U.N. for years.  You know, we see all those voting records.  And President Biden have been doing a lot of reform during the four years.  Does he believe that those changes will sustain after he leaves the White House?

    And second question: In last year’s UNGA remarks, President Biden talked about the peace and stability of Taiwan Strait, which was the first time a U.S. president actually talked about Taiwan at the UNGA.  So, will he include Taiwan again in his remarks this year?  Thank you.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  And I appreciate the question.  I think it’s a good question in terms of, you know, have we left the United Nations as an institution better off.  I think we do have results, and the President will talk about that.  You know, it’s a time of great divisions, and the U.N. has already been — has always been a reflection of the world as it is. 

    That said, when you look at what we’ve done, including through the United Nations, to, for example, rally the world to defend the U.N. Charter after the Ukrainian invasion, we secured a U.N. General Assembly resolution in which 141 countries stood up and said, “We condemn this, and we stand in favor of the U.N. Charter.”

    You’ve also seen a more progressive and forward-leaning position on institutional reform.  For example, two years ago, the President announced a shift and a more forward-leaning position in reforming and expanding the United Nations Security Council.  And that’s definitely a piece of this well as well. 

    I won’t get into the details on, you know, specifically what he’ll mention on individual issues, but I will say that an important part of the President’s legacy has been thinking about how we responsibly manage our competition with China, and that includes many facets, economic security, and those will be addressed in the speech.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  Our next question is going to go to Sheryl Gay Stolberg.  You should be able to unmute yourself, Sheryl.

    Q    Hi.  Thank you for doing this call.  You know, this is not a political speech, but it does occur in the context of an election in which one of the candidates has an isolationist vision that is far apart, diametrically opposed to that of the President.  And I’m wondering, to what extent can the President use this speech to ensure that his own vision of global alliances survives?  Is he concerned that that vision will unravel?

    And will this speech be in any way directed to the American people, as much as to world leaders, as a reminder of the importance of America’s place in the world?

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Look, as you said, this is not a political speech, but the President, again, he has a vision.  He came into a vision — into office.  That vision has produced results.  And there are many opponents and critics of that vision, not just internationally but at home.  It has been the President’s view that he needs to explain why this vision of working together with countries to solve these big challenges actually produces results, and that’s actually how we’re going to be measured. 

    And when I say “produces results,” that means internationally, in terms of ending war, in terms of tackling challenges like sustainable development, the debt crisis, climate, but it also means that he needs to explain how his vision has produced results for the American people.  And that’s where I think there’s a very strong record, and some of it is very, very tangible. 

    For example, the summit on the coalition on synthetic drugs, that is him bringing together countries, all of whom share a challenge — dealing with synthetic drugs — but convening them here, talking about deliverables, talking about how we’re going to work together.  And this is something that directly affects the situation of the American public, as my colleague briefed earlier, in terms of the overall record on issues like fentanyl. 

    So I think he’ll lay that out tomorrow, and I think it will stand as representing that vision and what it’s achieved.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  We will go to Danny Kemp.  You should be able to unmute yourself.

    Q    Thanks very much for doing this.  I just wanted to ask about the current situation in the Middle East.  I mean, you know, the speech tomorrow is really going to be a bit overshadowed by the events in Lebanon, where we’ve seen nearly 500 people killed in the space of a day.  How’s he going to address that?  And more particularly, how will the President be seeking to — will he be talking to other leaders about that?  What’s he actually going to be doing at the UNGA more generally to try and get this thing sorted out?  Thanks.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  This is one of the advantages of the U.N. General Assembly: You literally have the whole world here.  So when you do have crises of the day, they’ll be addressed.  And I have no doubt that the situation in the Middle East will be an important theme in a lot of the meetings, not just that the President has, but other senior U.S. officials who will be convening to talk about various aspects of the crisis and what we can do to stabilize the situation. 

    He will address the Middle East, especially this very, very difficult year that we have all gone through.  And again, I think it’s an opportunity to talk about what we have achieved and what we still need to do, given a situation that is just heartbreaking where hostages have not been returned, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and, as you know, just such a sensitive issue, such a delicate and dangerous situation between Israel and Lebanon right now.

    Thanks.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  And unfortunately, that is all the time we have today.  Thank you all for joining this call.  Thank you to our speakers.  And feel free to follow up with our team at the NSC press team with any questions. 

    And again, this call is under embargo until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow.  Thank you all again, and hope you have a great rest of your evening.

    5:53 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Web tracking report: who monitored users’ online activities in 2023–2024 the most

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: Web tracking report: who monitored users’ online activities in 2023–2024 the most

    Web tracking has become a pervasive aspect of our online experience. Whether we’re browsing social media, playing video games, shopping for products, or simply reading news articles, trackers are silently monitoring our online behavior, fueling the ceaseless hum of countless data centers worldwide. In this article, we’re going to explore various types of web trackers and present a detailed annual report that dissects their geographical distribution and organizational affiliations.

    What is web tracking?

    Web tracking is the practice of collecting, storing, and analyzing data about users’ online behavior. This data can include demographics, website visits, time spent on sites, and interactions like clicks, scrolls, and mouse pointer hovers that can be leveraged for creating heatmaps, etc. The primary goal of web tracking is to gain valuable insights into user behavior, preferences, and interests. This information allows businesses to personalize experiences, improve user engagement, target advertising more efficiently, and measure the performance of their online services.

    Types of web tracking

    Web tracking can be classified into several categories based on the methods and technologies employed:

    Cookies

    Cookies are small text files that websites place on a user’s device to store information about their visits, such as login credentials, preferences, and tracking identifiers. Despite a commendable commitment to enhance online privacy, primarily Google’s Privacy Sandbox project, Kaspersky experts anticipate that third-party cookies will persist for long time yet. In fact, even as we were processing the data to write this report, Antonio Chavez, Vice President of Privacy Sandbox, announced an intention to reconsider the plan of third-party cookies deprecation.

    Web beacons

    Also known as web bugs or tracking pixels, web beacons are transparent images — typically lines or 1×1 pixels — that send a lot of tracking data, usually via a query string. When a user accesses the content, the web beacon sends data back to the server. This allows businesses to track user interactions without requiring additional action from the user.

    Social media tracking

    Many websites embed social media buttons that help users to share content easily. However, these innocuous buttons often come with tracking capabilities. Even if the user does not engage with the social media site directly, these platforms still collect data on their online behavior.

    Web analytics

    Services like Google Analytics offer a deep dive into user engagement on websites. These tools track a wide range of metrics, from page views and bounce rates to conversion rates, empowering businesses to understand user behavior and optimize website performance.

    Fingerprinting

    Device fingerprinting is a tracking technique that identifies users by collecting unique information about their device and browser settings. This includes details like screen resolution, operating system, installed plugins, and browser language. This creates a unique “fingerprint” that can identify the user across different websites, even without cookies.

    Statistics collection principles

    For this report, we used anonymous statistics collected from July 2023 to June 2024 inclusive, by the Do Not Track (DNT) component, which prevents the loading of tracking elements that track user actions on websites. The statistics consist of anonymized data provided by users voluntarily.

    Even the most experienced users often make the mistake to confuse DNT features with the built-in “incognito mode” offered by all leading web browsers. Incognito mode only ensures that all your data like browsing history and cookies is cleared after you close the private window. However, it does not prevent websites from tracking your activities within that session. It also does not make you anonymous to your internet service provider (ISP) or protect you from adware or spyware that might be tracking your online behavior, cryptominers, or worse.

    Over the year, the DNT component was triggered 38,725,551,855 times. We have compiled a list of 25 tracking services that DNT detected most frequently across nine regions and certain individual countries. 100% represents the total number of DNT detections triggered by all 25 tracking services.

    The DNT component is included in all Kaspersky security solutions and is disabled by default.

    Global tracker giants

    Eight tracking systems appeared in almost all of the TOP 25 lists for the regions we studied. Four of these belong to Google. Besides these, we will look at two other tracking systems which were also widely represented across almost all regions: New Relic and Microsoft.

    In addition, two other systems – Criteo and Facebook Custom Audiences – also made it into the TOP 25 for all regions, but we’ve already covered them in previous articles.

    Google

    Google has several tracking systems responsible for various but often overlapping areas of marketing, advertising, and other fields involving the collection, analysis, and interpretation of user data.

    Google Display & Video 360 is a tool for managing advertising campaigns. Its trackers monitor advertising-related activities (clicks, technical metrics of ads, and so on). This system had the largest share among the TOP 25 tracking systems in Asia. In South Asia, it accounted for 25.47% of DNT component triggers, and in East Asia – 24.45%. The smallest share of this tracking system was in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) – just 8.38%, as this region features a strong presence of local tracking systems, which we will discuss later.

    The share of DNT triggers for Google Display & Video 360 trackers in each region, July 2021 — June 2022, and July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    Compared to our previous report, covering the period from August 2021 to August 2022, the presence of Google Display & Video 360 slightly increased in East Asia and the CIS, while it decreased in other regions.

    The second frequently encountered tracking system is Google Analytics. This system analyzes user behavior and tracks keywords to enhance website traffic and efficiency. Its largest share is in Latin America – 14.89%, followed by the Middle East at 14.12%. The lowest share of these trackers in our statistics is in North America – 8.42%.

    The share of DNT triggers for Google Analytics trackers in each region, July 2021 — June 2022, and July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    Just like the previous system, Google Analytics slightly increased its share in East Asia (up to 13.83%) and the CIS (9.36%), while decreasing in other regions.

    Trackers from Google AdSense, like Google Display & Video 360, monitor advertising activity and provide reports to website owners. This tracking system has its largest share in the Middle East (6.91%) and South Asia (6.85%). The smallest shares are in Oceania (3.76%) and the CIS (2.30%).

    The share of DNT triggers for Google AdSense trackers in each region, July 2021 — June 2022, and July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In almost all regions, the share for this tracking system increased. It’s worth noting that while some of these tracking systems reduced their presence in certain regions and others increased, they all belong to the same company – Google. Thus, user tracking by Google remains extensive, far exceeding other companies.

    Another significant Google tracking system is YouTube Analytics. It gathers information about video views and audience engagement, measures engagement levels, and more. YouTube Analytics holds the largest share in South Asia (12.71%) and the Middle East (12.30%), and the smallest in Europe (5.65%) and North America (4.56%).

    The share of DNT triggers for YouTube Analytics trackers in each region, July 2021 — June 2022, and July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    Compared to other Google tracking systems, YouTube Analytics has notably increased its share in all regions.

    New Relic

    The share of DNT triggers for New Relic trackers in each region, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    The San Francisco-based New Relic appeared for the first time in our list of global giants present in all regions. Its activity is focused on web tracking for subsequent performance analysis and the detection of website and application errors. The largest share of this tracking system is in Oceania – 15.79%, and the smallest in the CIS – 1.96%.

    Bing and Microsoft Corporation

    The share of DNT triggers for Microsoft Corporation trackers in each region, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    Microsoft trackers collect information about user interactions with its online services and other sites. This data is used to optimize service performance, find errors, and more. While this tracking system has a relatively small share, it is present in all regional TOP 25 lists. Microsoft Corporation largest share is in Latin America – 3.38%, and the smallest in the CIS – 0.68%.

    We studied Bing as a separate tracking system, although it is actually part of Microsoft.

    The share of DNT triggers for Bing trackers in each region, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    Bing is a full-fledged search engine. Its trackers collect information on search queries, location, and user preferences to display relevant ads – classic search engine functionality. It can be assumed that the share of Bing’s tracking system in various regions indicates the popularity of the search engine itself. A notable share of Bing trackers among the TOP 25 was in Africa – 8.46%, and the smallest in the CIS – 0.77%.

    Regional statistics

    Europe

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in Europe, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In the European region, Google tracking systems occupy the top two positions in the TOP 25. Google Display & Video 360 accounts for 17.27%, while Google Analytics holds 11.93%. In third place, with a 9.13% share, is Amazon Technologies. Fourth is Criteo with 6.80%, followed by YouTube Analytics (5.65%), Bing (5.33%), and Google AdSense (5.23%).

    In addition to the tracking systems that are in the TOP 25 of other regions, there is one company in the European ranking not found anywhere else: Improve Digital, a Dutch company that deals with advertising and marketing projects. It closes the TOP 25 with a small share of 1.22%. Next, we’ll look at regions and even countries where the tracking system rankings contain far more names not found in any other region.

    Africa

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in Africa, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In Africa, Google trackers occupy the top three spots, with Google Display & Video 360 leading at 19.03%. By the way, only one region and one country among those we examined do not have Google tracking systems in the top position; in nearly all other regions, Google Display & Video 360 leads the rankings, occasionally being surpassed by Google Analytics. In second and third place in the African region are Google Analytics (12.94%) and YouTube Analytics (10.25%). Following them are the aforementioned New Relic (8.55%), Bing (8.46%), Google AdSense (5.11%), Criteo (3.40%), and Xandr (3.17%) – a company owned by Microsoft that focuses on advertising and analytics. The African TOP 25 doesn’t contain any unique tracking systems that can’t be found in other regions.

    Middle East

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in the Middle East (excluding Iran), July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    The top four most widespread tracking systems in the Middle East belong to Google: Google Display & Video 360 (22.92%), Google Analytics (14.12%), YouTube Analytics (12.30%), and Google AdSense (6.91%). Next are Criteo (6.55%), New Relic (4.42%), Bing (2.66%), and Amazon Technologies (2.37%).

    In 19th place, with a small share of 1.42%, are trackers from the Turkish advertising company Virgul.com, unique to this region.

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in Iran, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In the Middle East, there is one country worth considering separately due to the significant number of tracking systems that are not found in other rankings – Iran. Despite the presence of numerous local trackers, Google still takes the top spot. However, not with Google Display & Video 360, which ranks third at 11.35%, but rather with Google Analytics at 35.78%, the highest for this system across all the regions and countries we reviewed. In second place are Microsoft Corporation trackers (12.08%), and in fourth is Yandex.Metrica (4.90%). The latter is a division of the Russian company Yandex, responsible for user data collection and analysis for advertising and marketing services, such as analyzing audiences and their behavior. Following Yandex is the local Tehran-based company Yektan (4.52%), which collects and analyzes data for advertising services. Another local Iranian company in the TOP 25 is the internet advertising agency SabaVision (1.55%).

    In addition to these domestic trackers, Iran’s TOP 25 also includes some that appear only in this country but which are not Iranian in origin. These include Tradingview.com (1.84%), an American company collecting telemetry, Amplitude (1.46%), a digital analytics company, Heap (1.18%), a product optimization platform, and Webklipper Technologies (0.96%), which specializes in internet marketing.

    Latin America

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in Latin America, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    The TOP 25 tracking systems most frequently detected in Latin America contain no local companies. Google Display & Video 360 ranks first with 20.13%, followed by Google Analytics (14.89%) and YouTube Analytics (8.89%). The TOP 25 is completed by PubMatic (1.08%), a company providing software for internet advertising. While it appears in many TOP 25 rankings, its share is minimal.

    North America

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in North America, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In North America, Google Display & Video 360 leads the TOP 25 with a significant margin, holding 16.84%. Amazon Technologies comes second with 9.08%. Interestingly, Amazon Technologies trackers appear in the TOP 3 only in three regions or countries we considered: Europe, North America, and Japan. In third place is Google Analytics with 8.42%, which is the lowest share for this system in any of the regions examined. New Relic comes in fourth with 7.62%.

    The North American TOP 25 includes two tracking systems not seen in other regions: The Trade Desk (1.79%) and Quantum Metric (1.76%), both American companies providing platforms for digital analytics and advertising.

    Oceania

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in Oceania, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In Oceania, Google Display & Video 360 (18.43%) ranks first, and New Relic, with a 15.79% share, takes second, marking the highest percentage for this tracking system among all the regions and countries examined. Google Analytics is in third place with 12.00%. In addition to the trackers found in most regions, Oceania features Oracle Moat Measurement (2.10%), Chartbeat (1.11%), and Nielsen (1.03%), which appear only in this region’s ranking. Chartbeat is an American company that collects and analyzes user data for media companies to improve monetization. Nielsen is an American company specializing in market measurement, collecting and analyzing user data for this purpose. Oracle Moat Measurement is the advertising division of Oracle, which will cease operations on September 30, 2024. Oracle itself will exit the advertising market, so this is likely the last time we’ll see this tracking system in our research.

    The CIS

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in the CIS (excluding Russia), July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    The CIS region is the most unusual in terms of the distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems. This is the only region where Google trackers do not occupy the top two spots, ranking third (Google Analytics) with a relatively small share of 9.30% or lower. The first place is held by Yandex.Metrica trackers with 26.19%. As mentioned earlier, Yandex system not only made the TOP 25 in the CIS but was also seen in the Iranian ranking (fourth place at 4.90%), the Middle East (2.30%), and of course, Russia, where it holds first place with a 26.43% share.

    In second place in the CIS ranking is the tracking system from Mail.ru (owned by the VK corporation) with a share of 20.76%. In addition to these two giants in the CIS tracking market, several other local tracking systems also made it into the TOP 25. Right after the three Google systems – Google Analytics (9.30%), YouTube Analytics (8.34%), and Google Display & Video 360 (8.33%) – the tracking system of the local company Mediascope had 2.82%. Mediascope focuses on audience preference and behavior research. Also included in the TOP 25 of the CIS are developments from the following Russian companies: Adriver (2.75%), Buzzoola (2.02%), AdFox, owned by Yandex (1.69%), Rambler Internet Holdings (1.46%), Sape.ru (1.42%), Artificial Computation Intelligence (1.33%), Between Digital (1.01%), Otm (0.99%), Adx.com.ru (0.93%). In total, Russian tracking systems account for 63.35% of the overall CIS ranking.

    Distribution of TOP 25 tracking systems in Russia, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In Russia, the TOP 5 is occupied by domestic tracking systems: Yandex.Metrica (26.43%), Mail.Ru (16.60%), Mediascope (6.16%), Sape.ru (4.89%) and Artificial Computation Intelligence (4.80%). Google AdSense only ranks sixth with a 4.50% share. In addition to the trackers seen in the CIS TOP 25, the Russian ranking features an even larger number of Russian tracking services: VK (2.09%), Uniontraff (1.79%), Bidvol (1.16%), Teleport Media (0.97%), Avito (0.87%), MoeVideo (0.79%), GetIntent (0.62%), AmberData (0.59%), Kimberlite.io (0.59%) and Bumlam.com (0.56%).

    The share of Russian tracking systems in the TOP 25 amounts to 87.50%. This makes Russia the only region where the overwhelming majority of the TOP 25 tracking systems are local players.

    East Asia

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in East Asia (excluding Japan and South Korea), July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    The top four positions in East Asia are occupied by Google tracking systems. Google Display & Video 360 is in first place with a share of 24.45%, followed by Google Analytics (13.83%), YouTube Analytics (11.66%), and Google AdSense (6.61%). Unlike other regions, the tracking system of the major Chinese IT company Baidu made the TOP 25 in East Asia with a share of 1.87%.

    There are also countries in the region that are worth considering separately, as they feature not only global tracking systems but also local players.

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in Japan, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    In addition to global companies whose tracking services are observed around the world, in Japan there are trackers only popular within the country. The Yahoo! Japan web portal is widely used, with its trackers accounting for 4.70%. Yahoo Advertising, the digital advertising division of Yahoo, holds a share of 2.35%.

    Local Japanese tracking systems are also well-represented in Japan’s TOP 25, including Geniee (2.77%), Adsp from the Japanese company SMN Corporation (1.35%), MicroAd (1.18%), Supership (1.05%), and LINE Corporation (1.04%). The total share of Japanese companies in the TOP 25 tracking systems is 12.08%.

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in South Korea, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    The TOP 25 in South Korea also differs from other global rankings, as it includes local Korean trackers. For example, the tracking systems of the highly popular Korean online platform NAVER rank fifth with 7.75%. Another major local player, Kakao, appears twice in the rankings: Kakao trackers are in ninth place with a 1.83% share, while trackers from the web portal Daum (owned by Kakao Corporation) hold a 1.17% share.

    South Asia

    Distribution of the TOP 25 tracking systems in South Asia, July 2023 — June 2024 (download)

    The last region under review is South Asia. The ranking here is fairly typical in terms of the global statistics. Google Display & Video 360 takes first place with 25.47%, followed by Google Analytics (13.97%), YouTube Analytics (12.71%) and Google AdSense (6.85%). Only three American trackers made it into the TOP 25 in South Asia: Sovrn (1.24%), Mux (1.10%) and LinkedIn (1.02%).

    Takeaways

    Google remains the undisputed leader in collecting, analyzing, and processing user data globally. However, in regions like South Korea, Japan, and Russia – where local internet services are particularly advanced – regional tracking systems not only make it into the TOP 25 but can even prevail over global ones. In some cases, such as in the CIS, local trackers can even take over entire regions. On one hand, looking at the TOP 25, it’s clear that user data collection and analysis is not limited to just a few large companies – and the more companies store and process our data, the higher the risk of data breaches. On the other hand, the list of companies is still finite, and the majority of tracking is handled by IT giants, who are motivated to protect user data to avoid reputational damage. The presence of local trackers is undoubtedly a sign of technological development in a region or country. However, the spread of local tracking systems increases the risk of data leaks and can weaken the user’s sense of control over who collects their data. To prevent unwanted data collection by various companies and, in turn, prevent data leaks, we recommend activating the Do Not Track (DNT) plugin.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: WTO advanced course on trade in services concludes in Geneva

    Source: WTO

    Headline: WTO advanced course on trade in services concludes in Geneva

    The LDCs participating in the course were Bangladesh, Madagascar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Nepal, Tanzania, The Gambia and Zambia. The acceding country was Bhutan. The full list of participating economies is available here.
    Over five days, participants engaged in an intensive curriculum designed to deepen their understanding of the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The course covered the economic importance of services trade, domestic regulation, the impact of digital trade on economies’ trade performance, investment facilitation and environmental services. Participants were also able to analyze and formulate effective trade policies by gaining hands-on experience with analytical tools like the I-TIP database and services trade statistics.
    The programme included a mix of presentations, practical exercises and in-depth discussions on emerging trade in services issues. Participants were particularly engaged in sessions on the latest developments in digital trade and the regulatory challenges associated with services trade. Interactive sessions allowed participants to apply their know-how to real-case scenarios, reinforcing their capacity to navigate complex trade issues.
    Upon completing the course, Mr Hugo Ibarra said: “In my work at the Undersecretariat of Economic Affairs, which reports to Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I am frequently in contact with the WTO for notifications of trade policies and other issues linked to the fulfilment of Chile’s WTO commitments. I also regularly refer to the GATS in our negotiation process for trade agreements. For these reasons, this type of course plays a very important role in our daily work.”
    Mr Kutubo Jarju, a participant from The Gambia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, said: “As a trade professional engaged in multilateral and regional trade negotiations, my primary expectation from this advanced course was to significantly deepen my expertise in the evolving services trade landscape. The course provided me with an enriched understanding of the current issues, challenges and opportunities of services trade, particularly in the context of global and regional agreements.”
    Ms Lavita Chan from Hong Kong, China’s Trade and Industry Department said: “I highly recommend the Advanced Trade in Services Course for government officials with services negotiation background and experience. Needless to say, the course contents were wide ranging, informative, up-to-date and inspirational. I was particularly impressed by the participants’ enthusiasm in sharing their points of view and domestic experience while the case studies and examples helped enrich our understanding and clarify complicated concepts. The participant-led reviews every morning were a very useful way to consolidate everything we learned and to promote teamwork.”
    The course was organized jointly by the WTO Trade in Services Division and the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation.
    List of participants
    ARGENTINA
    Ms Estefania Donna
    BAHRAIN
    Ms Meead Alansari
    BANGLADESH
    Mr Saif Uddin Ahammad
    BHUTAN
    Mr Choki Tshewang
    CABO VERDE
    Ms Ludmilde Filomena Celso Silva Fernandes Semedo
    CHILE
    Mr Hugo Ibarra
    CHINA
    Ms Yi WANG
    C�TE D’IVOIRE
    Ms Mariam Deme
    ECUADOR
    Ms Estefania Anais Mejia Ramos
    HONG KONG, CHINA
    Ms Mo Ying Chan
    JORDAN
    Mr Qusai Al-Tarawneh
    KENYA
    Ms Elizabeth Gathoni Miguda-Alila
    LAO PDR
    Mr Nongchith Khambounheuang
    MADAGASCAR
    Mr Fetra Herisoa Ramankirahina
    MOROCCO
    Mr Othmane Maktoum
    NICARAGUA
    Ms Yeseila Baca Cuadra
    PAKISTAN
    Ms Onsia Zafar
    PHILIPPINES
    Mr Anthony Aguirre
    REPUBLIC OF KOREA
    Ms Aeseon Kim
    SEYCHELLES
    Ms Demelza Tanisha Nathalie Valentin
    SRI LANKA
    Mr Premathilake Jayakody Batagolle Gedara
    SURINAME
    Ms Urtha Charlane Hoever
    CHINESE TAIPEI
    Ms Yun-Xuan Lin
    TANZANIA
    Ms Angelina Stephen Bwana
    THE GAMBIA
    Mr Kutubo Jarju
    TUNISIA
    Ms Noura Ben Mohamed
    UKRAINE
    Mr Vitaliy Kunatenko
    ZAMBIA
    Ms Mbewe Chikondi

    Share

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Nicolas Vincent: Monetary policy decision-making – behind the scenes

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Introduction

    Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be here with you today.

    I’ve done a lot of hiking, camping and skiing in the Eastern Townships. But this is the first time I’ve had a chance to spend time in Sherbrooke. I’m very much looking forward to spending the next two days in your lovely city.

    As Bruno mentioned, I’m a professor at HEC Montréal and an external Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada. As an external Deputy Governor, I am a full member of Governing Council. I participate in all discussions related to monetary policy and financial stability.

    The Bank’s aim in creating an external, part-time role was to get new perspectives from someone who isn’t from the world of central banks but still knows a thing or two about economics. Thankfully, my teaching experience and academic research have come in quite handy in my role at the Bank, as has my early-career work in the public service. Even with my experience, however, I’ve had to learn a lot since joining the Bank in March 2023, particularly about the process involved in making interest rate decisions.

    At the beginning of September this year, in light of recent progress in the fight against inflation, the Bank announced a third consecutive cut of 25 basis points, bringing the policy rate to 4¼%. It will likely come as no surprise to any of you that it’s more pleasant to announce cuts than it is to announce increases. In recent years, decisions by the Bank have been the subject of much attention, interest and debate. This is to be expected. The decisions have an impact on everyone, in many different ways, and we are well aware of that. We know that households are worried about the cost of living, their mortgage loan renewal, house prices, rent and the fact that it is getting harder to find a job. Given the importance of our decisions, they must not be taken lightly. And having been at the Bank for 18 months now, I can confirm that they are not. Interest rate decisions are based on an enormous amount of analysis and reflection.

    But how are decisions reached? What does the process look like exactly? Since becoming Deputy Governor, I have often been asked such questions. Generally speaking, there is considerable interest in and curiosity about our work and our responsibilities. That’s why the Bank puts so much effort into making monetary policy understandable for everyone by communicating it in clear and simple terms. You can find detailed information on the Bank’s website explaining our work and our decision-making process. We want people to understand what we do.

    Yet, for all our efforts, the truth is that most people know little about how we work and the steps we take in deciding whether to raise, maintain or lower the policy interest rate. That may even be the case for many of you here. And when I think about it, it’s not particularly surprising. Even as a macroeconomist, I knew little about the process before starting at the Bank.

    Today I’d like to take you behind the scenes and speak about what happens behind closed doors. What are the steps in the process? What sources of data do we use? How do we make our projections? I’ll also talk about the debates, the differences of opinion and the ways we reach a consensus. As you’ll see, making a decision on monetary policy is much more complicated than pushing a button, and getting a computer to spit out calculations and having everything fall into place. I’ll also talk about my own experiences, what’s surprised me and what I’ve learned along the way.

    Analysis and consultations

    First, I’d like to start with a quick review of what monetary policy is and does. At its core, the Bank’s mandate is to keep inflation low, stable and predictable, and centred on the 2% target. The Bank’s main tool for doing this is the policy rate. Changes to the policy rate affect several other interest rates in the economy, notably mortgage rates and rates for business loans. If the Bank raises the policy rate in response to high inflation, the cost of borrowing increases. This lowers demand because people have less money to spend on things like eating out or clothing, while businesses defer spending on projects. When economic activity slows, inflation goes down, which shows that monetary policy is working.

    While that seems simple in theory, in practice it is rather more complicated because the effects of our actions are not felt immediately. I have been a Deputy Governor for 18 months, which is the period needed to observe the full effects of monetary policy on inflation. And because we are always making decisions about the future, the Bank must rely heavily on economic forecasting.

    In addition, the impacts of Bank decisions are complex and uncertain. Much like a business that faces many unknowns when deciding to adopt a new technology, the Bank also must make choices in the face of considerable uncertainty. This is why it’s important to have good information and good advice.

    To get the best possible understanding of the economic situation, Governing Council members have access to an extremely large number of datasets, analyses and points of view. When I’m asked to summarize the work of a Deputy Governor, I often say that I am a big aggregator of information. I am part of a team whose job is to put together all the pieces of the puzzle to inform our decision-making. Today, I’d like to explain to you what that means in concrete terms.

    Every year, the Bank makes eight monetary policy decisions. That means eight times a year, the Bank must decide whether it will raise, maintain or lower the policy interest rate. Four of the eight decisions are accompanied by the Monetary Policy Report (MPR), published most recently in July. The MPR examines the global and Canadian economies in terms of production, spending, the labour market and, of course, inflation. It also includes the Bank’s projections for growth and inflation and the risks to the projection over a two-year period.

    The decision-making process begins about a month before the announcement date, when Bank staff present an economic projection to Governing Council. We call this Case A. It draws on the Bank’s macroeconomic models and surveys, its analysis of various sectors and components of the economy, and its assessment of financial stability and financial market activity. Since we don’t have a crystal ball, we draw on the latest data and use our projection models to look into the future.1 For several hours, Governing Council members debate the assumptions and risks to the projection as well as alternative case scenarios prepared by staff.

    About 10 days later, Bank advisors and economists present Case B, a revised projection incorporating the comments of Governing Council members and, if any, new developments that occurred since Case A. We draw on that projection to make our policy rate decision.

    When there is a rate announcement without an accompanying MPR-as was the case two weeks ago-many of the same steps are involved, although staff do not make new projections. They report on new data released since the last policy decision and on how the economy as a whole performed against expectations. Although the amount of information we have access to differs between announcements with and without an MPR, all decisions are equally important.

    Throughout the process, Statistics Canada’s data on inflation, gross domestic product and employment are an invaluable source of information to guide our decisions. But they also have limits. First, data tend to be aggregate, which can make it difficult to discern the full range of experiences Canadians are having. That is why we spend a lot of time diving deep into the data to analyze what concerns and affects people on a day-to-day basis: rent, house prices, mortgage renewal, the prices of gas and groceries, how long it takes to find a job, and so on. All these factors help us to predict the path of inflation in the months and years ahead.

    Second, hard data draw from the past. That is why the Bank conducts quarterly surveys on consumer expectations and the business outlook. The qualitative and forward-looking nature of these surveys allows us to discover different points of view and obtain a more nuanced portrait of the future path of economic activity. Some of you may even have participated in these surveys; if so, I’d like to thank you for the contribution you’ve made to making monetary policy.

    We also engage with the public through outreach activities. The Bank needs to hear from a variety of participants in the economy to understand what is happening on the ground. Meeting with businesses, community groups and other organizations gives us an opportunity to listen, learn and deepen our understanding of their situation. The knowledge we gain helps us interpret the statistical data and contributes to our projections. This outreach also gives us an opportunity to explain the role of the Bank to Canadians.

    This is exactly what I will be doing during my time in Sherbrooke. I’ll have the opportunity to participate in a round table with Entreprendre Sherbrooke, speak with university students and meet with local officials. Sometimes outreach activities even have unintended outcomes. Last spring, I took an outreach trip to  Rimouski, where I grew up. After I was interviewed by local media, some childhood friends I had not heard from in years reached out and messaged me!

    As an aside, I’d like to point out that while the Bank seeks out views from a broad range of stakeholders, it makes monetary policy decisions independently. This protects the Bank from short-term political objectives and pressures from special-interest groups. The independence of a central bank is even more important when difficult decisions must be made, as has been the case in recent years.

    The next step in the decision-making process is the risk and recommendations meeting, which takes place about a week before the announcement date. Advisors and staff from economics departments share their points of view and debate the implications of raising, maintaining or lowering the policy rate. This culminates in a round-table discussion where each person puts forward a recommendation and its rationale. As you can imagine, we are never short on opinions. While Governing Council is ultimately responsible for making the decision, the decision is really the product of an enormous team effort.

    Once the members of Governing Council have heard from the advisors and studied their analyses and recommendations, they meet in private to evaluate everything they’ve learned and come to a decision. Now, I’ll shed a bit of light on how that works.

    Deliberating the decision

    Before I talk about the deliberation process, I have to let you in on a little secret. At the Bank’s head office, behind a massive wooden door, there is a room I like to call the Chamber of Secrets. It’s formally known as the Rasminsky Room, after Louis Rasminsky, the Bank’s third governor. All discussions and decisions about the policy rate take place in this room.

    It’s a secure room where the blinds are always drawn, and access is controlled. From inside this room, no communication with the outside world is allowed, and the use of electronic devices is strictly regulated. When we say “private” deliberations, we really mean it! The Bank takes security very seriously-and with good reason. A leak could have serious consequences. Many stakeholders-financial market participants, in particular-are very eager to get news of the decision.

    Returning to the topic of our deliberations, once all the members of Governing Council are in the room, the Governor opens the meeting. The Governor acts as chair and shepherds the discussions. Each member is given the opportunity to present their views on economic developments in Canada and abroad, and on the outlook for growth and inflation. Another tidbit from behind the curtain: in Governing Council discussions, the Deputy Governors speak in reverse order of seniority, with newer members speaking first. This ensures their views are not influenced by those of more senior members. The Senior Deputy Governor speaks next, followed lastly by the Governor. They express their views, which leads to further discussions. We then go around the table again, with members presenting their opinions on monetary policy and debating the rate decision.

    The process is not set in stone. The content and format of our discussions are adapted to the situation and vary depending on our thinking about the economic environment and risk landscape. For example, when I started at the Bank in March 2023, a number of regional banks in the United States had just failed. Questions about financial stability were at the forefront of our discussions. In recent months, an important focus of our discussions has been the stickiness of inflation in prices for certain services, including shelter.

    But how is the decision actually reached after all of these deliberations? Unlike other central banks, such as the US Federal Reserve or the Bank of England, where members vote, the Bank of Canada makes decisions by consensus. Members must therefore all agree on the course of action, even if we had different points of view when we walked into the Rasminsky Room. And it might not come as a surprise that we do not always agree on everything.

    In fact, it’s completely normal that members have differences of opinion. After all, each member of Governing Council has distinct expertise stemming from their past experiences and educational background. But the diversity of our expertise is exactly what makes it possible to have detailed and constructive discussions that lead to informed decision-making.

    So, how do we arrive at a consensus despite our differences of opinion? Here, the organic nature of our deliberations plays a key role. At times, points raised by other members may lead us to fine-tune or rethink the way we’ve interpreted the data. Or a colleague may raise a point or highlight issues that others had not originally considered. In my opinion, the need to arrive at a consensus strengthens our decision-making process. We must carefully consider the diversity of opinions within Governing Council and discuss among ourselves to arrive at a common position.

    I should also mention that reaching a consensus does not mean that all members of Governing Council share the same point of view on the economic outlook or the path for interest rates in the coming months. It means that members come to an agreement about the best decision to make at a particular moment in time.2 And the truth is that as new data are published and new information comes to light, differences of opinion tend to become less pronounced.

    Whatever shape the deliberations take, I can assure you that everyone around the table is always very conscious of the weight of these decisions. I fully felt this weight myself in June 2023 when I participated in my second round of monetary policy deliberations.

    In the year before my arrival, the Bank had decisively and forcefully raised the interest rate from 0.25% to 4.5% to combat the spike in inflation. At the beginning of 2023, the Bank indicated it would pause to evaluate the effects of the increases on the economy and inflation. But data released between April and June 2023 showed that the economy had been more robust than expected in the first quarter of the year and that inflation had even increased slightly. Given the situation, we reached the conclusion that we had to again raise the interest rate. But at the end of our Friday afternoon meeting, the Governor said, “Let’s take the weekend and sleep on this decision and come back on Monday with clearer heads to discuss again.”

    Over the course of that weekend, I came to fully feel the weight of the responsibility that came with my new role. I’d had countless discussions about monetary policy with colleagues and students over the course of my career as an academic. But as Deputy Governor, I found the discussions were no longer abstract or theoretical. I came to understand that I was one of six people whose decision would directly impact borrowing costs for millions of people like you and for businesses like yours. Believe me when I say that the realization made my head spin a little; it was really quite humbling.

    Communicating the decision

    One thing that may surprise you-as it did me-is that Governing Council’s work does not end once the decision is made. Communicating the reasons that led to the decision is almost as important as the decision itself. The members of Governing Council work closely with the Bank’s communications team to develop key messages and draft the press release and opening statement for the press conference. If only you knew how much time we spend trying to find the best ways to convey our message and looking for just the right words-in both official languages.

    With time, I’ve come to understand that this is not always an easy task. For example, at the July decision, we said downside risks to inflation were becoming increasingly important in our deliberations. Some people interpreted this to mean that we believed downside risks had strengthened. What we intended to communicate, however, was that, with the 2% target in sight, we gave increased consideration to the risk that inflation could fall below the target.

    As you can see, differences in interpretation can be very subtle, which makes choosing the right words all the more important. I’d like to think that all the years of explaining complex concepts to my students has given me a lot of practice in this regard.

    Even though I’ve been in this role for only a short time, I’ve been able to appreciate how the Bank’s approach to communication is constantly evolving. In the past, press conferences were held only when the rate announcement was accompanied by a Monetary Policy Report. Starting this year, all eight rate announcements now feature a press conference. This gives the Bank the opportunity to share its assessment of the economic outlook with the public and explain the reasoning that led to the rate decision. Following the decision, Governing Council members host information sessions and regularly give interviews with the media.

    Since January 2023, a summary of deliberations is published online two weeks after every decision. This document is a record of Governing Council’s assessment of the economic environment and the upside and downside risks to inflation. It also highlights where opinions converged and the topics that generated the most debate among members. The summary of deliberations for the September decision was published yesterday, in fact.

    Lastly, the Bank is always looking for new ways to communicate and for new channels to reach the widest audience possible. In fact, the Bank has accounts on YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to follow us.

    Conclusion

    It’s time for me to wrap up. I’ve now participated in 12 rate decisions. Since arriving at the Bank, I’ve always felt my experiences and external point of view have been useful to my work and valued by the other members of Governing Council and the organization as a whole.

    I genuinely feel I’m contributing to the mission of a rigorous and conscientious institution that is mindful that its credibility is directly linked to the effectiveness of its actions.

    Credibility must be earned. The Bank’s is founded on the trust that Canadians place in us and our actions. Even when those actions are difficult and have direct impacts, Canadians understand that we are always guided by our resolve to keep inflation low, stable and predictable.

    We are fully conscious of the responsibilities the Bank has toward all Canadians. To maintain the public’s trust, we must be rigorous, professional, humble, honest and transparent.

    It is to contribute to this transparency that I’ve spoken to you today about the Bank’s decision-making process. This process has allowed the Bank to weather many past storms, from recessions to economic crises and even a pandemic. And this process will keep us true to our promise to all Canadians: to bring inflation back to target and keep it there. That will always be the best way for the Bank to support the Canadian economy.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Retail activity falls by 1.2 percent – Stats NZ media and information release: Retail trade survey: June 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Retail activity falls by 1.2 percent

    23 August 2024 – The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand fell 1.2 percent in the June 2024 quarter, after adjusting for price inflation and seasonal effects, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    This movement continues the downward trend observed in the last eight quarters.

    Eleven of the 15 retail industries had lower sales volumes in the June 2024 quarter, compared with the March 2024 quarter.

    The largest contributors to the fall in retail activity were:

    • electrical and electronic goods retailing – down 6.0 percent
    • motor vehicle and parts retailing – down 2.7 percent
    • food and beverage services – down 1.9 percent.
    • clothing, footwear, and personal accessories – down 4.1 percent.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

     

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Work options and wellbeing support important for Māori businesses – Stats NZ media and information release: Tatauranga umanga Māori – Statistics on Māori businesses: 2023 (English)

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Work options and wellbeing support important for Māori businesses – 29 August 2024

    More Māori businesses offered wellbeing, support, and flexible work options on average compared with all New Zealand businesses across firm size and industry, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    Figures from 2023 showed that 82 percent of Māori authorities and 77 percent of other Māori enterprises offered options for mental health and wellbeing support, like access to counselling. Comparatively, 53 percent of all New Zealand businesses offered similar support.

    A higher percentage of Māori businesses, around two-thirds, offered support options for physical health and wellbeing, like vision tests, compared with all New Zealand businesses. These support options were offered by 63 percent of Māori authorities and 69 percent of other Māori enterprises, compared with 48 percent of all New Zealand businesses.

    “These statistics likely reflect the importance Māori businesses place on their staff’s personal wellbeing and hauora,” Tatauranga umanga Māori manager Geraldine Duoba said.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read the news stories and information releases in both English and te reo Māori, and to access the technical report in English only. You can also download CSV files.

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Filled jobs fall across all age groups – Stats NZ media and information release: Employment indicators: July 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Filled jobs fall across all age groups – 28 August 2024 – New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted filled jobs were down 0.1 percent in the month of July 2024 with decreases measured across all age groups, according to data released by Stats NZ today.

    Filled jobs over a three-month period to July 2024 were:

    • 15 to 24-year-olds, down 10,840 jobs (3.1 percent)
    • 25 to 34-year-olds, down 10,056 jobs (1.8 percent)
    • 35-year-olds and over, down 7,375 jobs (0.5 percent).

    Filled jobs for 15 to 24-year-olds have been decreasing on an annual basis since August 2023, and the 25 to 34-year-olds began showing annual decreases from May 2024.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

     

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ information release: Linked employer-employee data: June 2023 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Linked employer-employee data: June 2023 quarter – information release

    26 August 2024 – Quarterly linked employer-employee data (LEED) provides statistics on filled jobs, job flows, worker flows, mean and median earnings for continuing jobs and new hires, and total earnings.

    Key facts
    Filled jobs
    ‘Filled jobs’ in Linked employer-employee data (LEED) is defined as the number of jobs on the 15th day of the middle month of the reference quarter. There is no distinction between full-time or part-time jobs.

    This release contains actual data and compares data for the June 2023 quarter with the March 2023 quarter.

    Changes in the filled jobs were:

    • all industries – up 2.6 percent (59,140 jobs)
    • primary industries – down 4.0 percent (4,270 jobs)
    • goods-producing industries – up 0.9 percent (4,280 jobs)
    • service industries – up 3.4 percent (59,170 jobs).


    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this information release:

     

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ release notification

    Dear subscriber

    Below you can find Stats NZ’s information releases for the next week. For more information about these releases go to Insights and make your selections in the drop-down options.

    6 September 2024
    Value of building work put in place: June 2024 quarter
    View recent value of building work put in place releases

    10 September 2024
    Business employment data: June 2024 quarter
    View recent business employment data releases

    Business financial data: June 2024 quarter
    View recent business financial data releases

    Local authority statistics: June 2024 quarter
    View recent local authority statistics releases

    11 September 2024
    International migration: July 2024
    View recent international migration releases

    International travel: July 2024
    View recent international travel releases

    Our release calendar has a full list of release dates for official statistics.

    The release calendar is updated six months ahead, but dates may change.

    Information releases include the latest statistics for the subject, with a summary (in the Key facts section), statistical Tables, and links to metadata and related information.

    You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on releases and further information:
     

     Follow us on Twitter

     Like us on Facebook 

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ information release: International trade: June 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    International trade: June 2024 quarter – information release – 3 September 2024 – International trade statistics provide information on imports and exports of goods and services between New Zealand and our trading partners.

    International trade: June 2024 quarter is our annual revisions release and includes changes to the calculation of travel credits among other series.

    International trade: June 2024 quarter – data sources and methods has more information.

    Key facts

    Quarterly goods and services by country

    • Total exports of goods and services for the June 2024 quarter were $26.2 billion, up from $25.8 billion in the June 2023 quarter.
    • Total imports of goods and services for the June 2024 quarter were $27.0 billion, up from $26.9 billion in the June 2023 quarter.
    • The total two-way trade for the June 2024 quarter was $53.2 billion.


    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this information release and to download CSV files:

     

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Annual number of homes consented down 22 percent – Stats NZ media and information release: Building consents issued: July 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Annual number of homes consented down 22 percent 

    30 August 2024 – There were 33,921 new homes consented in New Zealand in the year ended July 2024, down 22 percent compared with the year ended July 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    “The number of homes consented was down 22 percent on an annual basis, despite an increase in the July 2024 month,” construction and property statistics manager Michael Heslop said.

    In the year ended July 2024, there were 18,503 multi-unit homes consented, down 28 percent compared with the year ended July 2023. There were 15,418 stand-alone houses consented, down 14 percent over the same period.

    Multi-unit homes include townhouses, apartments, retirement village units, and flats.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Employment in Māori tourism businesses increases by 25 percent in 2023 – Stats NZ media and information release: Tatauranga umanga Māori – Statistics on Māori businesses: 2023 (English)

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Employment in Māori tourism businesses increases by 25 percent in 2023 – 29 August 2024

    Māori tourism employee counts increased by 25 percent from 2022, to 3,450 in 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    The biggest increases in employment counts were in the arts and recreational services, and accommodation and food services industries. Compared with 2022, employee counts in arts and recreational services businesses in 2023 increased by 46 percent to 1,050. In accommodation and food services businesses, the increase was 19 percent to 1,850.

    “We are seeing employee numbers for most Māori tourism industries return to pre-COVID levels,” Tatauranga umanga Māori manager Geraldine Duoba said.

    Employees in Māori tourism businesses numbered 3,500 in 2020.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read the news stories and information releases in both English and te reo Māori, and to access the technical report in English only. You can also download CSV files.

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Electrical industry sales up in the June 2024 quarter – Stats NZ media and information release: Business financial data: June 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Electrical industry sales up in the June 2024 quarter – 10 September 2024

    Seasonally adjusted sales for the electricity, gas, waste, and water services industry in New Zealand rose to $7.9 billion in the June 2024 quarter, up 22 percent on March 2024 quarter, according to data released by Stats NZ today.

    In actual terms, industry sales increased by $2.1 billion (36 percent) in the June 2024 quarter compared with June 2023 quarter. This is the largest value increase since the beginning of the series in June 2016. Purchases for this industry also rose significantly, up $2.2 billion over the same period.

    “The rise in electricity industry sales and purchases can likely be attributed to a combination of factors such as gas shortages and low hydro generation. The impacts have mainly been expressed in the higher wholesale price of electricity.

    “It wasn’t just difficulty in electricity generation contributing to the shift we are seeing, the national demand for electricity was much higher this quarter, with NIWA noting the month of May as being the coldest May in 15 years,” business financial statistics manager Ricky Ho said.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Building activity down slightly in June 2024 quarter – Stats NZ media and information release: Value of building work put in place: June 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Building activity down slightly in June 2024 quarter – 6 September 2024

    The seasonally adjusted volume of building work in New Zealand was $8.2 billion in the June 2024 quarter, down 0.2 percent compared with the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    “This is the lowest volume of building activity seen in a June quarter since the COVID-impacted June 2020 quarter,” construction and property statistics manager Michael Heslop said.

    The seasonally adjusted volume of residential building work fell 0.7 percent to $5.2 billion and non-residential building work fell 0.1 percent to $3.0 billion over the same period.

    Seasonally adjusted volume estimates remove the effects of price changes and typical seasonal patterns.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Quarterly current account deficit $7.2 billion – Stats NZ media and information release: Balance of payments and international investment position: June 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Quarterly current account deficit $7.2 billion – 18 September 2024 – New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted current account deficit widened by $269 million to $7.2 billion in the June 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    Primary income deficit widens

    In the June 2024 quarter, the primary income deficit widened by $291 million to $3.8 billion.

    The overseas earnings of New Zealand investors increased by $36 million, while the earnings of overseas investors in New Zealand increased by $263 million.

    “In the June 2024 quarter, New Zealand continued to issue bonds to overseas investors, which further added to the amount of interest paid on all issued bonds,” senior manager Stuart Jones said.

    The overseas earnings of New Zealand investors were largely profits from overseas-owned companies.

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ information release: Business employment data: June 2024 quarter

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Business employment data: June 2024 quarter ‐ 10 September 2024 – Business employment data includes filled jobs and gross earnings, with breakdowns by industry, sex, age, region, and territorial authority area, using a combination of data from two different Inland Revenue sources: the employer monthly schedule (EMS) and payday filing. Both are associated with PAYE (pay as you earn) tax data.

    Key facts
    Total actual filled jobs in the June 2024 quarter were 2.3 million.

    In the June 2024 quarter (compared with the March 2024 quarter):

    • total seasonally adjusted filled jobs − down 0.4 percent (8,789 jobs).

    For the year ended June 2024 compared with the year ended June 2023:

    • total gross earnings ‐ up 7.6 percent ($12.5 billion).

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this information release and to download CSV files:

     

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: PBOC Officials Interpret Financial Statistics for August

    Source: Peoples Bank of China

    On September 13, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) released the financial statistics for August. Officials from relevant departments of the PBOC interpreted the statistics and answered press questions.

    Q: What are the PBOC’s perspectives on the financial statistics for August? What are the features of these statistics?

    A: Since early this year, the PBOC has conscientiously implemented the decisions and arrangements made by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, pursued a sound monetary policy that is flexible, moderate, precise, and effective, strengthened the counter-cyclical adjustments, and created a favorable monetary and financial environment for economic and social development. The financial statistics for August have three main features.

    First, financial aggregates have witnessed reasonable growth. Recently, outstanding M2 has grown steadily. In August, both the outstanding aggregate financing to the real economy and RMB loans maintained growth rates of above 8 percent, about 4 percentage points higher than the nominal GDP growth rate in H1 2024. As economic restructuring accelerated, financial statistics maintained steady growth on a high base, and the financial sector’s support for the real economy remained solid.

    Second, the credit structure has been improved on an ongoing basis. More credit resources have been channeled to major national strategies, key areas, and weak links, thus providing strong support for the accelerated improvement of the economic structure. As of end-August, outstanding medium and long-term (MLT) loans to the manufacturing sector registered RMB13.69 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 15.9 percent. Specifically, outstanding MLT loans to the high-tech manufacturing sector increased by 13.4 percent year on year. Outstanding loans to technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reached RMB3.09 trillion, a year-on-year growth of 21.2 percent. Outstanding loans to “specialized, sophisticated, distinctive, and innovative” enterprises totaled RMB4.18 trillion, up 14.4 percent year on year. Outstanding inclusive micro and small business (MSB) loans posted RMB32.21 trillion, a year-on-year rise of 16.0 percent. The growth rates of all the above loans are higher than the average growth in lending over the same period.

    Third, interest rates have seen a continuous decline at low levels. In August, the weighted average interest rate on newly-issued corporate loans stood at 3.57 percent, 8 basis points and 28 basis points lower than those of last month and the same period last year, respectively. The interest rate on newly-issued inclusive MSB loans was 4.48 percent, 8 basis points and 34 basis points lower than those of last month and the corresponding period of the previous year, respectively, both at historical lows.

    Q: What progress and results have the PBOC achieved in providing financial support for high-quality economic development?

    A: Since the beginning of this year, the PBOC has made every effort to make progress in technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, old-age finance and digital finance and focused on optimizing the credit structure. As a result, financial support for major national strategies, key areas and weak links have been remarkable more intense, adaptable and targeted.

    At the macro level, we have strengthened top-level design and overall planning. We have introduced financial policies to support sci-tech innovation, green and low-carbon development, and all-round rural revitalization. Also, we have thoroughly implemented projects to enhance the capabilities of providing financial services for science and technology, green development, and SMEs, and improved the assessment and evaluation system.

    At the operational level, we have improved the incentive-compatible mechanism. We have optimized the policies on central bank lending for sci-tech innovation and technological transformation and automobile consumption credit, and stepped up support for large-scale equipment renewal and trade-in of consumer goods. In addition, we have extended the term of special central bank lending for inclusive elderly care, given full play to the role of carbon emission reduction facility and inclusive MSB loan facilities, improved the mechanism for coordination with the departments of science and technology, environmental protection, and agriculture, and encouraged and guided financial institutions to intensify and upgrade their support for these areas.

    As for financial services, we have supported enterprises in diversifying financing channels. We have enhanced the development of a multi-tiered bond market, thereby promoting the sustained growth of green bonds and corporate bonds for sci-tech innovation. We have upgraded our services for credit reporting, payment, and foreign exchange. Remarkable progress has been made in facilitating payment for overseas visitors. Moreover, we have actively and prudently promoted the development of pilot zones for financial reform in support of sci-tech innovation, inclusive finance and green development, and a number of financial service models that can be replicated nationwide are taking shape.

    Moving forward, the PBOC will effectively implement the policy measures that have been introduced, and accelerate steps to formulate the overall plan for “five major areas” in finance and develop policies on digital finance and old-age finance, thus forming a “1 + N” policy system. In addition, we will introduce more incentive policies and tools, continue to innovate financial services in key areas, and scale up support for high-quality economic development.

    Q: What measures will be taken for monetary policy in the future?

    A: The PBOC will adhere to an accommodative monetary policy stance to create a sound monetary and financial environment for economic rebound. We will pursue a monetary policy that is more flexible, moderate, precise and effective, intensify macro adjustments, accelerate the effective implementation of financial policy measures that have been introduced, and start to launch additional policy measures to further reduce the financing costs for businesses and the consumer credit costs for individuals, thus keeping liquidity adequate at a reasonable level. As maintaining price stability and facilitating a moderate recovery in prices are important considerations for our monetary policy, we will meet reasonable consumer financing needs in a more targeted manner. We will continue to enhance macroeconomic policy coordination, support the proactive fiscal policy in delivering more effective results, work hard to expand domestic demand, lay equal emphasis on consumption and investment, pay more attention to consumption, phase out outdated production capacity, promote industrial upgrading, and facilitate a high-level dynamic balance between aggregate supply and demand.

    Date of last update Nov. 29 2018

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mass animal extinctions: our new tool can show why large mammals – like the topi – are in decline

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Joseph Ogutu, Senior Researcher and Statistician, University of Hohenheim

    We could be witnessing the sixth mass extinction at an alarming rate worldwide. It’s marked by the rapid loss of species due to human activities like habitat destruction, pollution and climate change. Unlike previous mass extinctions, which were caused by natural events, this one is driven by human impact – like growing populations, pollution, invasive plant species and human-wildlife conflict.

    Large mammals are especially at risk, in Africa as elsewhere. For instance, nearly 60% of wild herbivores – such as elephants and hippos – are already threatened with extinction.

    Effective conservation and recovery strategies are needed. To develop them, you need to know how the population of a certain animal is doing and, if it is in decline, what’s causing it.

    One tool that’s useful here is a model, using biology, maths, statistics and computer software.

    The problem is that there aren’t enough of these realistic, effective models for large mammals. There’s a shortage of appropriate data and the models are complex to build.

    I was part of a team that developed a model to help fill that void. It’s the first to account for how large mammal populations interact with each other and their environment while also incorporating their detailed biology. It draws on valuable existing data and can be adapted for various wildlife species.

    We tested the model on populations of east Africa’s topi (a large antelope). From the results we’re able to deduce that the drivers of the topi’s massive population decline were habitat loss, poaching and killing by predators.

    Knowing what’s driving population declines is extremely valuable. Large mammals play a critical role in ecosystems. Changes to their populations will also affect many other species and could cause the extinction of connected species.

    How the model works

    Our model combines different types of data, like total population size from aerial surveys and ground vehicle counts, with predicted data on population figures. This allows us to estimate and track population trends that can’t be captured by just one data type. It considers factors like animal age, sex, gestation length, weaning period, calves per birth per year, birth rates, survival, and environmental influences like rainfall and temperature.

    Essentially, the model starts with educated guesses, then updates these guesses as it processes more observed data.

    The model can tell what causes a decline in two ways.

    First, it finds out which factors (such as rainfall) have a strong negative impact on things like birth rates, survival or recruitment, and shows exactly how they affect each other.

    Second, it lets us use simulations to see how changing one of these factors, while keeping others unchanged, changes the population by influencing its key characteristics (such as birth rate).

    Testing the model on topi

    We tested our model on the topi population found in Kenya, Tanzania and other African countries. We chose the topi because it’s a large herbivore in decline.

    The topi is an elegant antelope weighing between 91kg and 147kg, with a long face and uniquely twisted horns. One of the largest remaining topi populations in east Africa occurs in the Greater Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem, which straddles the border between Kenya and Tanzania.

    Kenya’s Directorate of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing has, since 1977, monitored numbers and distribution of topi, and other large wild herbivores and livestock, using aerial surveys in the country’s rangelands, covering 88% of Kenya.

    Based on this data, we can see that topi numbers have declined persistently and strikingly (by 84.5%) in Kenya’s Masai Mara ecosystem between 1977 and 2022, even those in protected conservation areas.

    This decline indicates a high risk of extinction if the trend persists. This is a serious concern, since other antelope species, such as the roan, have gone extinct in the Mara in recent decades.

    But the causes haven’t been fully established.

    We ran the aerial and ground survey data into the model in a computer on a monthly interval. This approach allows the model to capture patterns in trends and dynamics on a monthly scale. It allows us to see the distribution of births per month, the timing of births, the degree to which multiple females in a population give birth around the same time, the proportion of females in a population that give birth, the total number of individuals of each age and sex in each month, and the proportion of young that survive to adulthood.

    The model starts with initial guesses based on existing knowledge, and refines the guesses as it processes more actual data.

    It produces results that match the observed patterns of population decline, seasonality of births and how many animals survive to become juveniles or to adulthood.

    Based on these findings, we see that the decline in the topi population is driven by a combination of low adult female numbers, low newborn survival and low recruitment into the adult class because most young (over 95%) die before they become adults.

    Based on the model, we attribute these changes to impacts from environmental changes, human activities and predation. For instance, since adult animals are the least sensitive to climatic changes, this suggests other factors – such as habitat loss or deterioration, poaching or high predation rates – are likely contributing to the decline.

    The new model enhances our understanding of large herbivore population dynamics besides confirming existing knowledge.

    By combining different kinds of data from different sources, the model helps estimate and track important population details that one type of data alone can’t show. For example, for the first time data is captured that can track the total number of topi of each age and sex in each month, how many adult female topi are ready to conceive and the various stages of pregnancy. This method also estimates changes in the total topi population by age and sex in all four zones of the Mara, even in zones without direct ground age and sex data.

    Refining and enhancing the model

    The team is now extending the model to include more features (like the influence of livestock numbers), make it user friendly, apply it to more wildlife species and assess the effectiveness of ongoing and planned management actions.

    Improving our understanding of the drivers of large mammal losses will ensure that the right conservation actions are taken. It’ll also ensure resources aren’t wasted because solutions could include investing in major infrastructure, changing wildlife conservation and livestock production policies, changing law enforcement and rehabilitation of wildlife habitats – all of which are costly.

    Joseph Ogutu has received funding from the German Research Foundation and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. He is affiliated with the non-profits: One Mara-Research Hub (OMRH) and the Greater Serengeti Conservation Society. This research was partly funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature–East Africa Program and Friends of Conservation.

    – ref. Mass animal extinctions: our new tool can show why large mammals – like the topi – are in decline – https://theconversation.com/mass-animal-extinctions-our-new-tool-can-show-why-large-mammals-like-the-topi-are-in-decline-233882

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: HLG-MOS Workshop on the Modernization of Official Statistics 2024

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    About the meeting

    The High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Official Statistics (HLG-MOS) was established by the Bureau of the Conference of European Statisticians (CES) in 2010 to actively steer the modernisation of statistical organisations. The mission of the HLG-MOS is to work collaboratively to identify trends, threats and opportunities in modernising statistical organisations and provide a common platform for experts to develop solutions in a flexible and agile way. The purpose of the workshop was to ensure that the work of HLG-MOS is community driven and that activities and initiatives are aligned with the implementation of the HLG‑MOS vision, avoiding duplication and maximising efficiency. The workshop will also include sessions where the broad official statistics community could share ongoing initiatives related to modernisation and innovation, thus creating synergies among the organisations and opportunities for further collaboration, which will further enrich the work programme of HLG-MOS.

    The target audience of the workshop is experts, managers and leaders in statistical organisations who work on modernisation and innovation initiatives. This includes experts who have participated in the HLG-MOS activities this year as well as those with a broad knowledge of the recent developments in this area and understanding of international cooperation.

    For more details about the meeting, please see this information notice #1. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Meeting of the Group of Experts on Population and Housing Censuses

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    20 – 22 September 2023

    Palais des Nations Room V Geneva Switzerland

    42478 _ ECE/CES/GE.41/2023/2 – Report _ 388176 _ English _ 773 _ 405874 _ pdf
    42478 _ ECE/CES/GE.41/2023/2 – Report _ 388176 _ Russian _ 864 _ 405875 _ pdf
    42478 _ ECE/CES/GE.41/2023/2 – Report _ 388176 _ French _ 780 _ 405876 _ pdf

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Financial Accounts Workshop | UNECE

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    Provisional Timetable PDF PDF
    Session 1. New Recommendations in the 2025 SNA pertaining to financial accounts    
    Recommendations in the 2025 SNA pertaining to the financial accounts (IMF) PDF PDF
    Session 2. Use of financial accounts for analytical purposes    
    Use of Financial Account Balance Sheet in the EU (Eurostat) PDF PDF
    Use  of Financial Accounts for Analytical Purposes (Central Bank of The Republic of Türkiye) PDF  
    Use of financial accounts for analytical purposes. Private Sector Debt with a focus on NFCs (National Bank of Belgium) PDF PDF
    Session 3. Issues related to non-financial corporations    
    Analyzing Non-Financial Corporation Using Institutional Sector Accounts (IMF) PDF PDF
    Compilation of Financial Accounts for Non-Financial Corporations (Central Bank of The Republic of Türkiye) PDF PDF
    Financial Accounts in Armenia (Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia) PDF PDF
    Non-financial corporations: compilation process in the Belgian financial accounts matrix (National Bank of Belgium) PDF PDF
    Non-financial Corporations (Statistics Iceland) PDF  
    Compilation and Utilisation of the Financial Account of the Non-financial Corporations (NFC) Sector: Experience, Challenges, and Opportunities (Bank Indonesia) PDF  
    Session 4. Issues related to household sector    
    Household Sectors Issues Using Institutional Sector Accounts (IMF) PDF PDF
    The household sector (Statistics Iceland) PDF  
    Recording Crypto Assets in Macroeconomic Statistics (IMF) PDF PDF
    Challenges with Cryptocurrencies in Georgia (National Statistics Office of Georgia) PDF  
    Foreign currency held by Households (National Bank of Moldova) PDF PDF
    Session 5. Issues related to financial instruments and specific transactions    
    Financial instruments (ECB) PDF PDF
    Statistical measurement of illicit financial flows (UNCTAD) PDF  
    Non-financial Corporations equity liabilities (National Bank of Moldova) PDF PDF
    Session 6. Who-to-whom, consistency and balancing    
    Recommendations to improve the Vertical Consistency of EU Sector Accounts (ECB) PDF PDF
    Combining sources and balancing the accounts (ECB) PDF PDF
    Financial Accounts in Kyrgyzstan (National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic) PDF PDF
    From-whom-to-whom – practical solution for compiling FA statistics, NBRNM case (National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia) PDF  
    Who-to-whom, consistency and balancing (Statistics Iceland) PDF PDF
         

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Construction Week Proclaimed in Saskatchewan

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 23, 2024

    Week Highlights Construction Sector’s Role in Economic Growth 

    The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed September 23 to 27 as Saskatchewan Construction Week. The week has been proclaimed to celebrate the extensive economic and social contributions made by the province’s dynamic construction industry. 

    “Saskatchewan’s construction industry is not only a major contributor to jobs in the province, but also plays a crucial role in building the infrastructure necessary for a growing economy,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “As we work toward achieving and surpassing our Growth Plan goals of growing the provincial population to 1.4 million people and creating 100,000 new jobs, the construction industry will further excel this growth by building the offices, facilities, housing and more which contribute to our strong and vibrant communities.” 

    The construction industry in Saskatchewan is a key driver of economic growth. Last year, real GDP for the sector grew by 13.6 per cent, with the sector’s real GDP reaching $6 billion. Currently, there are over 43,000 (seasonally adjusted) people employed in the province’s construction industry, making it one of the most important economic sectors in Saskatchewan in terms of job creation. 

    “During Saskatchewan Construction Week, we celebrate the dedicated professionals who form the backbone of our province’s economy,” Construction Associations of Saskatchewan co-CEO Shannon Friesen said. “These skilled workers, often behind the scenes, build the infrastructure that drives our communities forward.” 

    “Their contributions are vital, not just in constructing roads, schools, and hospitals, but in shaping the very foundation of our future,” Construction Associations of Saskatchewan co-CEO Kevin Dureau said. “This week, we honour their commitment, resilience, and the essential role they play in ensuring Saskatchewan remains strong and prosperous.” 

    The growth the construction industry has experienced recently has had an overall positive impact on Saskatchewan’s economy, with Statistics Canada’s latest GDP numbers indicating that the province’s 2023 real GDP reached an all-time high of $77.9 billion, increasing by $1.2 billion, or 1.6 per cent. This places Saskatchewan second in the nation for real GDP growth, and above the national average of 1.2 per cent.

    Private capital investment is projected to reach $14.2 billion in 2024, an increase of 14.4 per cent over 2023. This is the highest anticipated percentage increase in Canada.

    The Government of Saskatchewan also recently unveiled its new Securing the Next Decade of Growth – Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy. This strategy combined with Saskatchewan’s trade and investment website, InvestSK.ca, contains helpful information for potential investors and solidifies the province as the best place to do business in Canada. 

    For more information visit InvestSK.ca.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Releases 2023 Crime in the Nation Statistics | Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

    The FBI released detailed data on over 14 million criminal offenses for 2023 reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program by participating law enforcement agencies. More than 16,000 state, county, city, university and college, and tribal agencies, covering a combined population of 94.3% inhabitants, submitted data to the UCR Program through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the Summary Reporting System.

    The FBI’s crime statistics estimates, based on reported data for 2023, show that national violent crime decreased an estimated 3.0% in 2023 compared to 2022 estimates:  

    • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded a 2023 estimated nationwide decrease of 11.6% compared to the previous year.  
    • In 2023, the estimated number of offenses in the revised rape category saw an estimated 9.4% decrease.  
    • Aggravated assault figures decreased an estimated 2.8% in 2023. 
    • Robbery showed an estimated decrease of 0.3% nationally.  

    In 2023, 16,009 agencies participated in the hate crime collection, with a population coverage of 95.2%. Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 11,862 criminal incidents and 13,829 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.  

    To publish a national trend, the FBI’s UCR Program used a dataset of reported hate crime incidents and zero reports submitted by agencies reporting six or more common months or two or more common quarters (six months) of hate crime data to the FBI’s UCR Program for both 2022 and 2023. According to this dataset, reported hate crime incidents decreased 0.6% from 10,687 in 2022 to 10,627 in 2023.  

    The complete analysis is located on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.   

    MIL Security OSI –