Data is considered one of the most important tools which is used by planners for the purpose of preparing development plans of the country; it represents the cornerstone of the process of development planning and follow up.

The importance of statistical data is increasing day by day inlight of state  building

according to specific planning model which relies on available information for plans preparation, in view of the gradual transformation of the international community to an information society and the increasing dependence of decision-makers and planners on information for the study and analysis of the options available to them in order to layout policies and take the necessary decisions.

The increasing awareness of the importance of statistics and its many uses, has led many governments and non-governmental units in the sultanate to indulge in statistical activities that cover data collection, analysis and the issue of statistical bulletins and reports.

Statistical work is classified into various main sections including population statistics, domestic and foreign trade statistics, production statistics, service statistics, income and national accounts.

From the importance of statistics to development stems one of the main functions of the Ministry of National Economy, which is the collection and dissemination of the different statistics and the carrying out of surveys and censuses in cooperation and coordination with concerned authorities, through directorates specialized in statistics, and in accordance with the requirements of the development plans and the Statistical Law, in addition to promoting the statistical work at the national level.

The Sultanate has paid full attention to statistics since the 1970s, when the first government system capable of undertaking the duties of economic and social development in terms of planning and implementation was established. That was the Directorate General of National Statistics set up within the Technical Secretariat of the Development Council by Royal Decree No. 46/77 issued on June 30, 1977. The Royal decree 19/94 establishing the Ministry of Development was then issued, followed by the endorsement of its organizational structure comprising a number of general directorates, among them were the Directorate General of Economic statistics and the Directorate General of Social Statistics. The two directorates have been maintained even after the amalgamation of the Ministry of Development with Ministry of National Economy according to the Royal Decree No. 4/99, issued on January 4, 1999.