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The International Statistical Institute (ISI) is an independent, non-governmental international professional association established in 1885 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. Operating under consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1947, the ISI has individual and institutional members in over 150 countries. It is distinct from the Indian Statistical Institute, a separate research and higher education institution in Kolkata, India. The ISI publishes a Declaration on Professional Ethics, holds a World Statistics Congress every two years, and includes seven specialized associations. Researchers entering the broader field can consult CASRAI’s overview on what data science encompasses or examine methodological boundaries in data science vs statistics.
Who runs it and what it covers
The International Statistical Institute is governed by an elected Executive Committee and Council, supported by a Permanent Office in The Hague that serves ISI members and its associations. The ISI also maintains standing and operational committees.
The ISI encompasses seven specialized associations, each addressing a dedicated domain within statistical theory, computational methodology, or operational practice:
| Association | Acronym | Primary Research Domain | Key Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability | BS | Probability theory, mathematical statistics, and stochastic processes | Bernoulli; Stochastic Processes and their Applications |
| International Association for Statistical Computing | IASC | Computational algorithms, statistical software, and numerical data analysis | Computational Statistics & Data Analysis |
| International Association of Survey Statisticians | IASS | Survey design, sample selection, census methodology, and estimation | The Survey Statistician |
| International Association for Official Statistics | IAOS | Government statistics, public policy indicators, and census operations | Statistical Journal of the IAOS |
| International Association for Statistical Education | IASE | Pedagogy, curriculum design, and statistical literacy | Statistics Education Research Journal |
| International Society for Business and Industrial Statistics | ISBIS | Industrial quality engineering, business analytics, and process control | Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry |
| The International Environmetrics Society | TIES | Environmental monitoring, ecological statistics, and climate modeling | Environmetrics |
At the central level, the ISI publishes flagship general-interest journals in partnership with commercial and society publishers. Its flagship journal, the International Statistical Review (published with Wiley), focuses on broad methodological reviews, state-of-the-art developments, and foundational expositions. The institute also produces Stat, an electronic, rapid-communication journal co-sponsored with Wiley for concise research findings, as well as Significance, a bimonthly magazine co-published with the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and the American Statistical Association (ASA) via Oxford University Press. Work submitted to these venues goes through peer review and follows each journal’s own open access policies.
How to search or use it
Engaging with the International Statistical Institute involves distinct pathways across scholarly publishing, professional networking, and global governance:
- Accessing Central and Association Portals: Researchers explore official directories, announcements, and working group charters through the main portal at
isi-web.org. Individual association sites provide specialized working papers and event calendars. - Utilizing Scientific Publications: Scholars search article databases, special issues, and reviews published in the International Statistical Review and Stat through publisher portals such as Wiley Online Library, tracking developments in theoretical and applied statistics.
- Navigating Membership Categories: Individual membership categories are Regular, Elected and Ex-officio (one person designated by each organisational member). Regular members or potential new members can be nominated for Elected membership, with the nomination and election processes set out in the ISI By-laws. Annual dues are determined by the Council; fees depend on membership type, country or region of residence and, where applicable, retirement status. Reduced dues are available to eligible members in low- and middle-income economies under the World Bank GNI-per-capita classification, and a reduced “under 35 or student” Regular rate exists.
- Participating in the World Statistics Congress: The World Statistics Congress (WSC) is held every two years in different countries. The 66th WSC is scheduled for 11-15 July 2027 in Lusaka, Zambia; the ISI also organises Regional Statistics Conferences in alternating years with a regional focus. Calls, deadlines and registration are published on the ISI events pages.
- Consulting the Declaration on Professional Ethics: The ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics was adopted by the ISI Council in July 2010, and an updated version was endorsed by the Executive Committee in July 2023; an earlier declaration dates from 1985. Research groups and statistical units can use it as a reference on professional conduct in statistical work.
- Following Committees and Associations: The ISI lists standing and operational committees on its website, and each of the seven associations runs its own activities and publications.
Strengths and limits
The International Statistical Institute provides significant institutional advantages alongside distinct operational boundaries that researchers should understand before engaging:
Strengths
- Global Reach: Members are in over 150 countries, and the ISI has held consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 1947.
- Broad Institutional Membership: Institutional membership includes national statistical offices, central banks, international agencies and university departments, alongside individual members.
- Reduced Dues Tiers: Reduced dues are available for eligible members in low- and middle-income economies and for under-35 or student members.
- Published Ethics Framework: The ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics is a public reference document, and the ISI Advisory Board on Ethics, established in 2010, bases its work on it.
Limits
- Separate Association Fees: The seven associations list their own membership rates in the ISI fee schedule, so joining several means choosing each separately.
- Biennial Congress Cadence: The World Statistics Congress is held only every two years; Regional Statistics Conferences fill the alternating years.
Alternatives
Researchers also consider national and disciplinary statistical societies, such as the American Statistical Association, the Royal Statistical Society and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. Each sets its own membership terms and meetings, so check the society’s own website before choosing. The ISI differs by being an international organisation with individual and institutional members, whose specialized work runs through seven associations.
Researchers selecting methodological tools and testing frameworks within these professional communities can explore CASRAI’s technical references on how to choose a statistical test or consult the formal definition of a statistical test.
FAQ
What is the difference between the International Statistical Institute and the Indian Statistical Institute?
The International Statistical Institute (ISI) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation established in 1885, with its Permanent Office in The Hague, Netherlands, and individual and institutional members in over 150 countries. The Indian Statistical Institute is a separate institution based in Kolkata, India, and is not part of the ISI.
What is the World Statistics Congress?
The World Statistics Congress (WSC) is the International Statistical Institute’s congress, held every two years in different countries. The 66th WSC is scheduled for 11-15 July 2027 in Lusaka, Zambia.
How does one become an Elected Member of the ISI?
Elected Membership in the International Statistical Institute is by nomination: regular members or potential new members can be nominated, and the nomination and election processes are specified in the ISI By-laws.
What journals does the International Statistical Institute publish?
The ISI publishes the International Statistical Review (its flagship journal) and Stat (an electronic journal for rapid short communications) in collaboration with Wiley. It also co-publishes Significance magazine with the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association through Oxford University Press, while its seven specialized associations publish dedicated journals such as Bernoulli, Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, and the Statistical Journal of the IAOS.
Sources
- International Statistical Institute. “About Us.” Accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.isi-web.org/about-us
- International Statistical Institute. “Scientific Journals.” Accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.isi-web.org/scientific-journals
- International Statistical Institute. “Our Members and Membership Fees.” Accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.isi-web.org/our-members
- International Statistical Institute. “Membership Fees.” Accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.isi-web.org/membership-fees
- International Statistical Institute. “Declaration on Professional Ethics.” Accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.isi-web.org/declaration-professional-ethics
- International Statistical Institute. “Global ISI Events.” Accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.isi-web.org/Global-ISI-Events
- International Statistical Institute. “Declaration on Professional Ethics.” Accessed 2026-11-07. https://www.isi-web.org/ethics
