On 9 September 2019, celebration of the 100th anniversary of Lithuanian statistics was organised by Statistics Lithuania at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius.

The celebration was opened with the words from the Data Manifesto of the Royal Statistical Society (the United Kingdom): “What steam was to the 19th century, and oil has been to the 20th, data is to the 21st. It’s the driver of prosperity, the revolutionary resource that is transforming the nature of social and economic activity, the capability that differentiates successful from unsuccessful societies.”

The colleagues gathered for the festive evening marking the importance of statistics to the state and people in their daily decision-making.

During the event, movie dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Lithuanian statistics was premiered. Welcoming speech, on behalf of the Prime Minister, was given by Algirdas Stončaitis, Chancellor of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, who also handed symbolic Statistics Acorn awards for contribution to the national statistics to:

• 6 former Heads: Kazimieras Lengvinas, Vladimiras Trukšinas, Kęstutis Zaborskas, Petras Gediminas Adlys, Algirdas Gediminas Šemeta and Vilija Lapėnienė;

• Stanislovas Algimantas Martišius – Professor, chronicler of Lithuanian statistics history who, after the Restoration of the State of Lithuania, was the pioneer of modern statistics, promoted the Western traditions and published more than 100 publications. As Head of the Statistics Department of the Economic Cybernetics and Finance Faculty of Vilnius University, he promoted the purpose of statistics as methodological applied science and its role in training qualified specialists in economics. Among the guests, there were many of his former students and colleagues to whom the Professor gives inspiration for creation and development;

• Lithuanian business daily newspaper Verslo Žinios (Business News) which has been using statistics on a daily basis for more than two decades and treating it in a respectful and responsible manner;

• Nerijus Mačiulis – economist, financial analyst and opinion maker – for his active and effective educational activity, honest approach to statistics, his knowledge and ability to explain numbers in a simple and understandable manner;

• Bank of Lithuania – the second largest producer of official statistics that produces the national finance statistics. For monetary policy, reliable statistics are particularly important;

• Institute of Hygiene – one of the largest and most responsible producers of statistics which was the first to integrate the population health indicators into the common statistical system of the country – Official Statistics Portal.