About Us

Introduction

The Voorburg Group on Services Statistics was created in 1986, in response to a request from the United Nations Statistical Office (UNSO), for assistance in developing services statistics. The first meeting, hosted by the Netherlands Statistical Office (CBS) was held in January of 1987 in Voorburg (Netherlands), from which the Group derives its name.

Purpose

The purpose of the Voorburg Group (VG) is to address issues related to the production of service statistics, including service product outputs and inputs, the estimation of the real product of service activities, price indices of service products and industries, and their implications for product and industry classification (Central Product Classification (CPC) and International Standard Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC).

In 2021, the VG refreshed its mission and vision with the implementation of a new strategic plan for 2022-2026.The mission of the VG is to establish and maintain an internationally comparable methodology for measuring output and producer and import price indexes for the service and service-related industries. We focus on the development of concepts and methods, the sharing of best practices, and identification of classification needs. In so doing, we will be mindful of the diverse needs of VG members and continue to focus on the importance of expanding our knowledge base in line with rapid change in services industries and/or related product areas.

The Voorburg Group has contributed over the years to building up and sharing a considerable and growing body of knowledge of Service Sector Statistics. It has prompted international cooperation in the development of standards and has assisted in resolving statistical and measurement challenges in the Service Sector.

Bureau of the Voorburg Group

The organization and the planning of the annual meeting are done by the Bureau. The Bureau consists of a core group of members, the host of the last meeting and the host of the next meeting, as well as the Voorburg Group Secretary who is responsible for various logistical activities including taking notes at Bureau meetings, organizing Country Progress Reports, and providing logistical support for the Voorburg Group Co-Chairs.

As of April 2024, the members of the Bureau are:

Previous Meetings

The Voorburg Group meets for one week every year. The previous meetings were held as follows:

1987   Voorburg, the Netherlands
1987   Stockholm, Sweden
1988   Wiesbaden, Germany
1989   Ottawa, Canada
1990   Paris, France
1991   Helsinki, Finland
1992   Williamsburg, United States of America
1993   Oslo, Norway
1994   Sydney, Australia
1995   Voorburg, the Netherlands
1996   Newport, Wales
1997   Copenhagen, Denmark
1998   Rome, Italy
1999   Christchurch, New Zealand
2000   Madrid, Spain
2001   Örebro, Sweden
2002   Nantes, France
2003   Tokyo, Japan
2004   Ottawa, Canada
2005   Helsinki, Finland
2006   Wiesbaden, Germany
2007   Seoul, South Korea
2008   Aguascalientes, Mexico
2009   Oslo, Norway
2010   Vienna, Austria
2011   Newport, Wales
2012   Warsaw, Poland
2013   Tokyo, Japan
2014   Dublin, Ireland
2015   Sydney, Australia
2016   Zagreb, Croatia
2017   New Delhi, India
2018   Rome, Italy
2019   Paris, France
2020   Helsinki, Finland (virtual)
2021   Washington DC, United States of America (virtual)
2022   Ottawa, Canada (virtual)
2024   Tel Aviv, Israel (virtual)

Reports to the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC)

1. Strategic Vision
2. Progress Report