The Department of Economic and Social Statistics has been reputed as the traditional advantage of research and teaching since the discipline of Statistics was formed in September 1950. It is regarded as one of the pillars supporting the School’s top position in Statistics in China. The Department offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Economics. The Department’s strong research areas include the system of national accounting, macro-economic statistics, official statistics, innovation study, industrial competitiveness, text mining and big data application, and market research. It collaborates with the United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and the University of Pisa.

Apart from research, the Department also offers the course of Statistics for non-statistics majors in the University and leads the research and administrative work of the NBS-RUC Research Data Center and the Institute of Official Statistics co-funded by the National Bureau of Statistics and the University. A unique advantage of the Department is the long-term close relations with the central government ministries and institutions like the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce, National Bureau of Statistics, People’s Bank of China, and General Administration of Customs in official statistics. The Department has already developed its features in designing sampling programs, analyzing data, and supporting policymaking in the State governance.