Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Earlier in the summer I shared the news that a new StatsWales service is on its way. Today, I’m pleased to provide more detail on what you can expect as we prepare to launch the beta version of the new platform.
What is a Beta service?
The new StatsWales will launch as a public beta, which means it’s a fully functioning service that’s still being refined. You’ll be able to use it to access and explore data, but we’ll continue to improve it based on your feedback. This approach allows us to deliver value sooner while making sure the service evolves to meet your needs.
The beta version will include all the essential features you need to access and view data, and we’ll be adding more over time. It’s a significant step forward from the current service, offering a more intuitive experience and new capabilities that reflect how users interact with data today.
What’s new?
From day one, the new StatsWales will support:
- Finding datasets by browsing a list of categories
- Filtering and sorting datasets, making it easier to find what you need.
- Downloading datasets in a range of formats
- API access to data, enabling automated queries and integration with your own systems.
We are also working on ways to improve the quality of data on StatsWales. To help you find and use common variables (like age, geography or time period), we are building a reference service within StatsWales. This will mean that consistent names and codes are used throughout the service. We’ll be starting with geography first, as it’s used across so many datasets. This will be one of the earliest new features we’ll introduce as part of our ongoing development roadmap.
In time, you’ll also be able to customise the layout of data tables to suit your needs. These enhancements are designed to make StatsWales even more flexible and user-friendly.
Preparing for launch
Our statisticians are currently preparing datasets for the new service. If all goes to plan, we’ll launch the beta service around late September. From this point, all new and updated datasets will only be available from the new service. You will still be able to access the older StatsWales service until January, but it won’t host any new data after the new service launches.
We’ll be gradually migrating datasets to the new service, prioritising those that are most used. Priority datasets will include key measures in areas such as:Population, demography and characteristics
- Schools, pupils and the school workforce
- NHS performance, such as hospital waiting times and ambulance response times
- Labour market and economy
- Council tax and devolved taxes.
These datasets are widely used and will be available from the start to ensure continuity for users.
What won’t be on the new service?
Not every dataset from the current service will be moved across. Older datasets that are no longer updated will only be added to the new service if they’re still well used.
The new service won’t host data in other formats like spreadsheets. This was occasionally used on the older version of StatsWales when it wasn’t possible or appropriate to publish data in the typical StatsWales format. In future, we’ll be using GOV.WALES for this kind of publication.
We’ve reviewed usage patterns to make these decisions carefully. If you rely on a dataset that isn’t yet available, please let us know. Your feedback will help us prioritise future additions, or we can make the archived data available on request.
Supporting you through the transition
We know change can be challenging, and we’re committed to supporting you throughout this transition. We’ll continue to provide updates here, and we welcome your feedback as we refine the service.
This is a major milestone in how we publish and share statistics in Wales. The new StatsWales is designed to be more responsive, more user-friendly, and more aligned with how people work with data today. We’re excited to share it with you, and even more excited to see what you do with it.
If you have questions, please reach out via statswales@gov.wales