Saudi Arabia Tops the Arab World in 2023 SPI

Riaydh, November 12, 2024, SPA -- The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) continues its significant advancement in the Statistical Performance Indicators (SPI) issued by the World Bank, ranking first among GCC countries in the 2023 assessment.
Saudi Arabia advanced by 22 places compared to 2022 to reach this top position, while among the G20 countries, it went up four places, ranking 14th, up from 18th in 2022.
The World Bank recently announced the SPI in 187 countries; the assessment in 2023 was based on a new methodology for calculating the SPI.
This update included a time series from 2016 to 2023 for all countries. The assessment now covers five main pillars and more than 51 indicators, addressing data use, data services, statistical products, data sources, and infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia ranked among the top seven G20 countries in the fifth pillar, achieving a score of 95%, in 2023.
In a press release issued today, GASTAT President Dr. Fahad Aldossari said that the attention and support provided by the wise leadership have greatly contributed to the development of the statistical sector.
This, he said, had a significant impact on strengthening GASTAT's role and raising its standing among global official statistical entities, enabling it to produce accurate, comprehensive, and high-quality statistical data and indicators.
Aldossari said that the progress registered by the authority enables it to provide solid information to decision and policymakers, aiding in the formulation of sustainable development plans in various sectors of the country.
"This remarkable progress in the SPI reflects the authority's efforts to implement a statistical transformation strategy focused on enhancing GASTAT's technical infrastructure, improving field surveys and statistical products, strengthening partnerships with public, private, and non-profit sectors, enhancing data accessibility, and meeting local, regional, and international statistical requirements," the release said.
According to GASTAT, the authority also strives to increase customer satisfaction by continuously improving the presentation and accessibility of statistical data and indicators in an interactive and user-friendly way.
-- SPA