The COVID-19 outbreak dominated the 2020. Every country and every socio-economic sector has been facing this unique situation. Official statistics need to confront new challenges, both internally and externally. Internally, every national statistics office needs to protect their workers, reorganize their way of working, and ensure the regular data production. Externally, NSOs are called to make a statistical description of an unprecedented complex reality.

The aim of this paper is: to analyze the role of national statistics offices during the COVID-19 health crisis, and to summarize challenges and opportunities lying ahead, and to trigger the discussion about national statistics offices.