Overview

Data is essential for informed decision-making and understanding trends in our society.

This guide provides fundamental knowledge to help you better navigate, interpret, and use official statistics responsibly. It explains where data comes from, how to analyse it correctly, how to communicate findings responsibly, and why seasonal adjustments matter.

How to analyse data

Cross-sectional

Data collected over a single time period (e.g. records are from a specific year). It allows the comparison of characteristics between units or groups at a fixed point in time.

In the example below, it can be seen that in 2022, there were 6 males and 4 females. Of the 4 females, only 1 lives in HDB housing while the rest live in private estates.

Cross Sectional Data of Individual 2022

Time series
Pooled
Longitudinal

Types of graphs and charts

Graphs and charts [PDF, 1MB] help to present complex data in a visually appealing and simple-to-understand manner. Common types of graphs and charts include: