The main theme refers to the challenge facing National Statistical Institutes in the Nordic countries in a rapidly changing societal context. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on traditional official statistics and spurred demand for more timely indicators of the state of society. In response the majority of Nordic Statistical Offices have published Covid-19 related statistics unusually fast - or on the fly.

Of course, adjusting to changes in user needs is not a new challenge for National Statistical Institutes. There has long been a conflict between timeliness and accuracy in the production of official statistics. However - this challenge has become more prominent in recent years as official statistics compete with new and innovative ways of quantifying and visualizing populations. As a consequence of automatic data accumulation following the digitization of the society, the dissemination of societal information by large private entities will only grow - as will its use in public debate.

While it is the role of official statistics to provide a stable reference point for public debate, there is nevertheless a need for official statistics to respond to societal demand for information shaped by fast paced social and economic changes. Given our recent collective experience during the pandemic years it seems that this need will only grow in the future.

The overall aim of the Nordic Statistical Meeting (NSM) is to bring statisticians and users of official statistics together to discuss best practices and innovations in the field of statistics - and specifically the challenges facing official statistics in the Nordic countries.