A global history of how official statistics grew into a tool for national planning and progress.
This nonfiction volume surveys how countries organized and used statistics to measure people, economies, and life conditions. It highlights how the discipline evolved through wars, reforms, and international collaboration, shaping policy and administration around the world.
- Explore the origins and aims of official statistics in different nations
- See how war, law, and institutions influenced data collection and publication
- Learn about the methods and challenges that statisticians faced across eras
- Understand why international comparison and cooperation became central to statistical work
Ideal for readers of history, public policy, and the development of quantitative science, this edition offers a clear view of why statistics matter to how societies govern themselves.