Ceremonial Academy "80 Years State Statistical Office"

As part of the celebration of the great anniversary - 80 years since the establishment of the State Statistical Office, on June 2, 2025, several important events were held at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in Skopje.

The Ceremonial Academy on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the State Statistical Office was attended by high-ranking representatives of the Government, including the Prime Minister Mr. Hristijan Mickoski, Minister of Finance Ms. Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska, Governor of the National Bank, Mr. Trajko Slaveski, as well as the representatives of international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations.

The event was also enriched by the presence of directors and representatives of statistical offices from Europe, including Slovenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc., as well as members of the Statistical Council, the academic community, associates and other partners of the Office.

Before the start of the Ceremonial Academy, the Director of the State Statistical Office, Mr. Dejan Stankov and the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, Mr. Hristijan Mickoski gave statements to the media on the occasion of the anniversary, which were followed by their welcoming addresses, as well as the addresses of the Head of the Management Department on behalf of the Delegation of the European Union, Ms. Maria Kanellopoulou and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Republic of North Macedonia, Ms. Rita Columbia.

In her welcoming address, Mr. Stankov emphasized: “Over the past eight decades, official statistics have not only been a tool of state administration – they have become a testimony to our history, economic growth, demographic changes, social trends and every attempt to build a better tomorrow. From manually collected data to modern digital platforms, from statistical yearbooks in paper form to open databases accessible to all citizens – the path that official statistics have taken is truly impressive.”

The Prime Minister, Mr. Hristijan Mickoski, in his welcoming address, stated: “Official statistics are key to the development of the state and democratic processes. They do not only offer numbers, but they are a compass that helps us understand reality and make the right decisions for the future. Therefore, I wish the State Statistical Office many more years of success, with a constant commitment to accuracy, transparency and innovation, which are the basis for building trust and sustainable development of our country.”

The main part of the program took place in two panel discussions with several participants. The first panel was moderated by Ms. Apolonija Oblak-Flander, Director of the Statistical Office of Slovenia, and it was focused on the harmonisation of official statistics with European regulations and methodologies, as well as on the challenges and opportunities for achieving consistency and comparability of statistical data at the European level. The panel discussion was attended by the directors and representatives of statistical offices from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo.

The second panel, moderated by the President of the Czech Statistical Office, Mr. Marek Rojiček, addressed the future of official statistics and the role of digital transformation in the development of statistical systems. The discussion was attended by the Director General of the SSO, Mr. Stankov, and representatives from Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary.

The event ended with joint conclusions and an official closing, followed by a formal lunch.
We would like to emphasize that the celebration of the anniversary "80 years State Statistical Office" is realized with the selfless support and partnership of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - UN Women, for which we express our special gratitude.

These activities confirm the important role of the State Statistical Office as a central institution in the collection, processing and distribution of relevant and reliable data, as well as the dedication of the Office to integration into the European Union and the advancement of its work according to the highest European and world standards.