Statistics Act 1973

Statistics Act 1973

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act relating to statistics.

[7 September 1973]

Short title

1.  This Act is the Statistics Act 1973.

Interpretation

2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“anonymised microdata” means particulars or information pertaining to any person which is in a form that conceals or protects the identity of that person, whether by presenting the particulars or information in statistical form or otherwise, so that the identity of that person cannot be readily discovered or ascertained from the particulars or information;

“public agency” means a public officer, an Organ of State or a ministry or department of the Government, or a public authority established by or under any written law for a public purpose or a member, an officer or an employee thereof;

“requisition” means a requisition issued under section 5;

“research and statistics unit” means a research and statistics unit specified in the Second Schedule;

“statistical purposes” means the compilation of statistics or the preparation of anonymised microdata relating to any subject matter listed in the First Schedule.

Statistics Department and research and statistics units

3.—(1)  The Department of Statistics and all research and statistics units may, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, collect and process data for statistical purposes.

(2)  The Department of Statistics is under the control and management of a Chief Statistician and any other officers that the Minister may appoint.

(3)  A research and statistics unit is under the control and management of a director and any other officers that the appropriate Minister responsible for the unit may appoint.

National statistical coordinator

4.—(1)  The Chief Statistician is the national statistical coordinator whose duties are —

(a) to coordinate statistical activities in public agencies, including the allocation of the subject matters in respect of which research and statistics units may exercise their powers under section 5;

(b) to advise public agencies in the gathering, compiling, analysis and utilisation of statistics;

(c) to develop national statistical standards and standardise definitions, classifications, terms, procedures and concepts for use in statistical activities; and

(d) to promote the observance of approved national statistical standards by public agencies.

(2)  All research and statistics units must comply with the recommendations of the Chief Statistician on any matter specified in subsection (1)(c) and (d).

(3)  If a research and statistics unit refuses to accept a recommendation of the Chief Statistician, the director of the research and statistics unit must notify the Chief Statistician in writing of the refusal and the reasons for the refusal.

(4)  On receipt of any notice from a research and statistics unit under subsection (3), the Chief Statistician must —

(a) reconsider the recommendation in question; and

(b) in the event of the inability of the Chief Statistician to rescind or revise the recommendation, refer the matter to the Minister who must give directions to the research and statistics unit as the Minister thinks fit and that research and statistics unit must comply with the directions of the Minister.

Power of Chief Statistician and director of research and statistics unit to issue requisition for information

5.—(1)  The Chief Statistician or the director of a research and statistics unit may issue a requisition to any person or the occupier of any premises to furnish particulars and supply information to him or her, for the purpose of obtaining data for statistical purposes, and every such person or occupier is bound to furnish the particulars and supply the information to the best of the person’s or occupier’s knowledge and belief.

(2)  A requisition must —

(a) be in writing;

(b) be served upon the person to whom it is addressed or the occupier of any premises (as the case may be) in the manner specified in section 11; and

(c) specify the particulars or information required.

(3)  A requisition may —

(a) specify the form in which and the time within which the particulars and information are to be furnished;

(b) require the particulars and information to be furnished periodically at or within such time or times and in such form or forms as are specified in the requisition; and

(c) specify the place or manner at or in which the particulars and information are to be delivered.

(4)  No person is bound to furnish any particulars or information other than those which are accessible to the person or derived by the person from any business, occupation or work in the conduct or supervision of which the person is engaged.

Power to request information from research and statistics units and other public agencies

6.—(1)  For the purpose of obtaining data for statistical purposes, the Chief Statistician may in writing direct —

(a) the director of any research and statistics unit to furnish or supply to the Chief Statistician any particulars or information obtained pursuant to any requisition issued by the director under section 5; or

(b) any public agency to furnish or supply to the Chief Statistician any particulars or information in the possession of the public agency, whether or not —

(i) the particulars or information were provided to the public agency by another person or public agency (called in this section the data source); or

(ii) the public agency directed to furnish the particulars or information, or the data source, is under any obligation (whether imposed by any written law or otherwise) not to disclose the particulars or information.

(2)  Despite the provisions of this Act or any other written law, the director of any research and statistics unit or the public agency must furnish the particulars and information as directed under subsection (1) except, in relation to a direction under subsection (1)(b), any particulars or information which have been exempted from being so furnished by —

(a) the Minister responsible for the public agency directed to furnish or supply the particulars or information under subsection (1)(b); or

(b) the Minister responsible for the data source.

(3)  All particulars and information required to be furnished under subsection (1) must be furnished within such time as may be agreed to between the Chief Statistician and the director of a research and statistics unit or the public agency, as the case may be.

(4)  Despite the provisions of this Act or any other written law —

(a) no person shall be guilty of an offence under this Act or that other written law or of any breach of confidence or incur any liability, criminal or civil, by virtue merely of the person disclosing any particulars or information to the Chief Statistician pursuant to any direction under subsection (1); and

(b) no officer of the Department of Statistics (including the Chief Statistician) shall be guilty of an offence under this Act or that other written law or incur any liability, criminal or civil, by virtue merely of the officer accessing, or disclosing to another officer of the Department of Statistics, any particulars or information obtained pursuant to any direction under subsection (1), in the performance of the officer’s duties or functions as an officer of the Department of Statistics.

(5)  Subsection (1) does not apply to any particulars or information obtained under any written law administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Disclosure of information

7.—(1)  A person must not disclose any particulars or information obtained under section 5 or 6 in a form that may identify any person without the prior consent in writing of the person that may be identified by the disclosure.

(2)  Despite subsection (1), the Chief Statistician or the director of a research and statistics unit (as the case may be) may disclose particulars or information obtained under section 5 or 6 —

(a) as statistics which do not identify any person;

(b) as anonymised microdata to —

(i) any public agency; or

(ii) any other person within a class specified in the Third Schedule;

(c) for the purposes of any proceedings for an offence under this Act or any report of those proceedings;

(d) that are of a general nature relating to the products or services provided by, the number of employees in or the addresses of, an establishment; or

(e) that are already available in the public domain.

(3)  The Chief Statistician or the director of a research and statistics unit may, in respect of any particulars or information disclosed to any person under subsection (2), impose conditions as to the use of the particulars or information by written notice to that person.

(4)  If a person discloses any returns or any particulars or information contrary to this section, or fails to comply with any conditions imposed on the person under subsection (3), the person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

Impersonation of statistical officer

8.—(1)  A person who impersonates a statistical officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.

(2)  In this section, “statistical officer” means —

(a) an officer of the Department of Statistics; or

(b) an officer of a research and statistics unit.

Penalties

9.—(1)  A person who —

(a) wilfully refuses or without lawful excuse (the burden of proof of which lies on the person) neglects to furnish the particulars or information required by a requisition within the time allowed for furnishing them or to furnish them in the form specified or prescribed, or to authenticate them in the prescribed manner, or to deliver them at the place or in the manner specified or prescribed for their delivery;

(b) wilfully furnishes or causes to be furnished any false particulars or information in respect of any matter specified in the requisition requiring particulars or information to be furnished; or

(c) refuses to answer, or wilfully gives a false answer to, any question necessary for obtaining any particulars or information required by a requisition to be furnished under this Act,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $100 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

(2)  A certificate under the hand of the Chief Statistician or the director of a research and statistics unit stating that such returns have not been furnished or are incorrect is prima facie evidence of the facts stated in the certificate.

Composition of offences

10.  The Chief Statistician or the director of a research and statistics unit may compound any of the offences under section 9(1) by accepting from a person reasonably suspected of having committed the offence a sum not exceeding $200.

Service of requisition

11.—(1)  Subject to any rules made under section 12, a requisition may be served as follows:

(a) in the case of an individual —

(i) by delivering it to the individual personally;

(ii) by leaving it with an adult person apparently resident at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the usual or last known address of the place of residence of the individual;

(iii) by leaving it with an adult person apparently employed at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the usual or last known address of the place of business of the individual; or

(iv) by affixing a copy of the requisition in a conspicuous place at the usual or last known address of residence or business of the individual;

(b) in the case of a partnership other than a limited liability partnership —

(i) by delivering it to any one of the partners or the secretary or other similar officer of the partnership;

(ii) by leaving it at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the principal or last known place of business of the partnership in Singapore; or

(iii) by sending it by facsimile transmission to the fax transmission number operated at the principal or last known place of business of the partnership in Singapore;

(c) in the case of any limited liability partnership or any other body corporate —

(i) by delivering it to the secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or, in the case of a limited liability partnership, the manager thereof;

(ii) by leaving it at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the registered office or principal office of the limited liability partnership or body corporate in Singapore; or

(iii) by sending it by facsimile transmission to the fax transmission number operated at the registered office or principal office of the limited liability partnership or body corporate in Singapore.

(2)  Any requisition to be served on the occupier of any premises may be served by delivering it to an adult person on the premises or, if there is no such person on the premises to whom it can with reasonable diligence be delivered, by affixing the requisition to a conspicuous part of the premises.

(3)  Any requisition to be served on the occupier of any premises is deemed to be properly addressed if addressed by the description of the occupier of the premises without further name or description.

(4)  If the person on whom service is to be effected has an agent within Singapore, the requisition may be delivered to the agent.

Rules

12.—(1)  The Minister may make rules —

(a) regulating the method of collecting data for statistical purposes, the staff to be employed in connection therewith, the duties to be performed and the publication to be issued;

(b) prescribing the forms in which and the times, places and manner at and in which particulars or information must be furnished, and the manner in which they must be authenticated, and any other thing which under this Act is to be prescribed;

(c) exempting from the obligation to furnish particulars or information under this Act, either wholly or partly and either unconditionally or subject to any conditions that may be prescribed; and

(d) generally for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act.

(2)  All rules made under this section must be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication in the Gazette.

Amendment of Schedules

13.  The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, amend the First, Second or Third Schedule.

FIRST SCHEDULE

Sections 2 and 13

Subject matters

1. Accidents

2. Accommodation and food service activities

3. Administrative and support service activities

4. Agriculture

5. Animal husbandry

6. Assets, liabilities, and financial operations and transactions, of persons

7. Banking

8. Births and deaths

9. Building

10. Business, employers’ and professional membership organisations, trade unions, religious organisations, political organisations, and other membership organisations representing or promoting particular interests

11. Business, personal and household services

12. Citizenship

13. Communications

14. Construction

15. Crime

16. Culture

17. Education

18. Energy

19. Environment

20. External trade

21. Family planning

22. Finance

23. Fisheries

24. Forestry

25. Health and social services

26. Housing

27. Immigration and emigration

28. Income and expenditure

29. Information, communications and media

30. Insurance

31. Investment

32. Labour

33. Land use

34. Manpower

35. Manufacturing

36. Marriage and divorce

37. Meteorology

38. Mining

39. Narcotics

40. Population

41. Power

42. Prices and charges

43. Prisons

44. Professional, scientific and technical activities

45. Public administration and defence

46. Quarrying

47. Real estate activities

48. Recreation

49. Research and development

50. Social security

51. Sports

52. Tourism

53. Transportation and storage

54. Utilities

55. Wholesale and retail trade

[22/2016; S 550/2015]

SECOND SCHEDULE

Sections 2 and 13

Research and statistics units

1. Economic Research Department of the Building and Construction Authority.

2. Research and Statistics Unit of the Economic Development Board.

3. Research and Management Information Division of the Ministry of Education.

4. Health Analytics Division of the Ministry of Health.

[S 692/2023 wef 27/10/2023]

5. Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower.

6. Statistics Unit of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

7. Research and Statistics Unit of the Info‑communications Media Development Authority.

8. Research and Statistics Department of the National Environment Agency.

9. Research and Statistics Unit of the Energy Market Authority of Singapore.

10. Research and Statistics Unit of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research.

11. Research and Statistics Department of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

[S 458/2024 wef 01/06/2024]

THIRD SCHEDULE

Sections 7(2) and 13

Specified class

1.   Any consultant commissioned by a public agency.

2.—(1)  Any person, being an employee of a specified university or a person assisting such an employee, to whom disclosure of anonymised microdata from particulars or information obtained under section 5 or 6 for the purposes of research is supported by the specified university.

(2)  In sub-paragraph (1), “specified university” means any university established in Singapore in respect of which statutory provision has been made in relation (among other things) to the operation of the university.

[S 280/2021]

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Statistics Act 1973

 

This Legislative History is a service provided by the Law Revision Commission on a best-efforts basis. It is not part of the Act.
Pictorial Overview of Predecessor Acts
Legislative History Details
Part 1 Statistics Act (Chapter 299, 1970 Revised EDition)
1.	Ordinance 28 of 1921—Statistics Ordinance, 1921
	Bill	:	G.N. No. 1533/1921
	First Reading	:	3 October 1921
	Second Reading	:	22 November 1921
	Notice of Amendments	:	22 November 1921
	Third Reading	:	22 November 1921
	Commencement	:	30 November 1921
2.	1926 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 183 (Statistics)
	Operation	:	1 August 1926
3.	1936 Revised Edition—Statistics Ordinance (Chapter 40)
	Operation	:	1 September 1936
4.	Ordinance 37 of 1952—Law Revision (Penalties Amendment) Ordinance, 1952
	(Amendments made by section 2 read with item 11 of the Schedule to the above Ordinance)
	Bill	:	32/1952
	First Reading	:	16 September 1952
	Second and Third Readings	:	14 October 1952
	Commencement	:	30 April 1955 (section 2 read with item 11 of the Schedule)
5.	1955 Revised Edition—Statistics Ordinance (Chapter 262)
	Operation	:	1 July 1956
6.	Ordinance 31 of 1958—Legislative Assembly (Presentation of Subsidiary Legislation) Ordinance, 1958
	(Amendments made by section 2 read with the Schedule to the above Ordinance)
	Bill	:	158/1958
	First Reading	:	16 July 1958
	Second Reading	:	13 August 1958
	Notice of Amendments	:	10 September 1958
	Third Reading	:	10 September 1958
	Commencement	:	25 September 1958 (section 2 read with the Schedule)
7.	Ordinance 71 of 1959—Transfer of Powers Ordinance, 1959
	(Amendments made by section 4 read with the First Schedule to the above Ordinance)
	Bill	:	30/1959
	First Reading	:	22 September 1959
	Second and Third Readings	:	11 November 1959
	Commencement	:	20 November 1959 (section 4 read with the First Schedule)
8.	Ordinance 72 of 1959—Transfer of Powers (No. 2) Ordinance, 1959
	(Amendments made by section 2 read with the First Schedule to the above Ordinance)
	Bill	:	31/1959
	First Reading	:	22 September 1959
	Second Reading	:	11 November 1959
	Notice of Amendments	:	11 November 1959
	Third Reading	:	11 November 1959
	Commencement	:	20 November 1959 (section 2 read with the First Schedule)
9.	G.N. No. S (N.S.) 179/1959—Singapore Constitution (Modification of Laws) (No. 5) Order, 1959
	Commencement	:	20 November 1959
10.	1970 Revised Edition—Statistics Act (Chapter 299)
	Operation	:	31 August 1971
Part 2 Statistics Act 1973 (2020 REvised Edition)
11.	Act 46 of 1973—Statistics Act, 1973
	Bill	:	39/1973
	First Reading	:	11 July 1973
	Second and Third Readings	:	26 July 1973
	Commencement	:	7 September 1973
12.	Act 19 of 1986—Statistics (Amendment) Act 1986
	Bill	:	12/1986
	First Reading	:	5 May 1986
	Second and Third Readings	:	29 July 1986
	Commencement	:	29 August 1986
13.	1985 Revised Edition—Statistics Act (Chapter 317)
	Operation	:	30 March 1987
14.	Act 9 of 1990—Statistics (Amendment) Act 1990
	Bill	:	9/1990
	First Reading	:	2 March 1990
	Second and Third Readings	:	28 March 1990
	Commencement	:	6 April 1990
15.	1991 Revised Edition—Statistics Act (Chapter 317)
	Operation	:	1 March 1991
16.	Act 24 of 1995—Regulation of Imports and Exports Act 1995
	(Amendments made by section 47 read with item 6 of the Schedule to the above Act)
	Bill	:	19/1995
	First Reading	:	25 May 1995
	Second and Third Readings	:	7 July 1995
	Commencement	:	1 December 1995 (section 47 read with item 6 of the Schedule)
17.	G.N. No. S 365/1998—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Notification 1998
	Commencement	:	3 July 1998
18.	G.N. No. S 192/1999—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Notification 1999
	Commencement	:	16 April 1999
19.	1999 Revised Edition—Statistics Act (Chapter 317)
	Operation	:	30 December 1999
20.	G.N. No. S 501/2000—Statistics Act (Amendment of First Schedule) Notification 2000
	Commencement	:	1 November 2000
21.	G.N. No. S 502/2000—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Notification 2000
	Commencement	:	1 November 2000
22.	G.N. No. S 536/2002—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second and Third Schedules) Notification 2002
	Commencement	:	4 October 2002
23.	Act 6 of 2003—International Enterprise Singapore Board (Amendment) Act 2003
	(Amendments made by section 3 read with item (2) of the Schedule to the above Act)
	Bill	:	5/2003
	First Reading	:	10 March 2003
	Second and Third Readings	:	21 March 2003
	Commencement	:	1 April 2003 (section 3 read with item (2) of the Schedule)
24.	Act 16 of 2004—Statistics (Amendment) Act 2004
	Bill	:	15/2004
	First Reading	:	19 April 2004
	Second and Third Readings	:	19 May 2004
	Commencement	:	1 July 2004
25.	G.N. No. S 393/2006—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Notification 2006
	Commencement	:	30 June 2006
26.	G.N. No. S 451/2007—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Notification 2007
	Commencement	:	28 August 2007
27.	Act 3 of 2010—Statistics (Amendment) Act 2010
	Bill	:	24/2009
	First Reading	:	23 November 2009
	Second and Third Readings	:	11 January 2010
	Commencement	:	12 February 2010
28.	G.N. No. S 151/2010—Statistics Act (Amendment of First and Second Schedules) Order 2010
	Commencement	:	12 March 2010
29.	G.N. No. S 40/2011—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2011
	Commencement	:	3 August 2010
30.	G.N. No. S 474/2011—Statistics Act (Amendment of First and Second Schedules) Order 2011
	Commencement	:	19 August 2011
31.	2012 Revised Edition—Statistics Act (Chapter 317)
	Operation	:	31 July 2012
32.	G.N. No. S 89/2013—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2013
	Commencement	:	15 February 2013
33.	G.N. No. S 153/2015—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2015
	Commencement	:	1 April 2015
34.	G.N. No. S 550/2015—Statistics Act (Amendment of First Schedule) Order 2015
	Commencement	:	8 September 2015
35.	G.N. No. S 454/2016—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2016
	Commencement	:	1 October 2016
36.	Act 22 of 2016—Info-communications Media Development Authority Act 2016
	(Amendments made by section 102(5) of the above Act)
	Bill	:	21/2016
	First Reading	:	11 July 2016
	Second and Third Readings	:	16 August 2016
	Commencement	:	1 October 2016 (section 102(5))
37.	G.N. No. S 80/2017—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2017
	Commencement	:	15 March 2017
38.	G.N. No. S 203/2018—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2018
	Commencement	:	1 April 2018
39.	G.N. No. S 669/2019—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2019
	Commencement	:	1 October 2019
40.	G.N. No. S 280/2021—Statistics Act (Amendment of Third Schedule) Order 2021
	Commencement	:	28 April 2021
41.	G.N. No. S 374/2021—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2021
	Commencement	:	17 June 2021
42.	G.N. No. S 705/2021—Statistics Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2021
	Commencement	:	21 September 2021
43.	2020 Revised Edition—Statistics Act 1973
	Operation	:	31 December 2021
44.	G.N. No. S 692/2023—Statistics Act 1973 (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2023
	Date of commencement	:	27 October 2023
45.	G.N. No. S 458/2024—Statistics Act 1973 (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2024
	Date of commencement	:	1 June 2024

Abbreviations

	(updated on 29 August 2022)
G.N.	Gazette Notification
G.N. Sp.	Gazette Notification (Special Supplement)
L.A.	Legislative Assembly
L.N.	Legal Notification (Federal/Malaysian)
M.	Malaya/Malaysia (including Federated Malay States, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya and Federation of Malaysia)
Parl.	Parliament
S	Subsidiary Legislation
S.I.	Statutory Instrument (United Kingdom)
S (N.S.)	Subsidiary Legislation (New Series)
S.S.G.G.	Straits Settlements Government Gazette
S.S.G.G. (E)	Straits Settlements Government Gazette (Extraordinary)