European Statistics Competition Photo Contest: « The norm is the exception »

STATEC invites students aged 14 to 18 to take part in the European Statistics Competition (ESC) Photo Contest — a unique opportunity to combine photography, creativity and statistical data.

STATEC invites students aged 14 to 18 to take part in the European Statistics Competition (ESC) Photo Contest — a unique opportunity to combine photography, creativity and statistical data.

The European Statistics Competition is a European contest organised by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. It aims to stimulate students’ curiosity and interest in statistics. The ESC is open to secondary school students, who compete through a variety of challenges, including solving statistical exercises, searching for information and producing analyses.

A creative contest built around a strong theme: “The norm is the exception”

This theme invites students to question what is considered “normal”: averages, standards, stereotypes and preconceived ideas.
By combining statistics and imagery, participants can highlight the gap between common perception and measured reality.

Objectives of the photo contest

This contest enables students to:

• raise awareness of social stereotypes and prejudices;
• develop critical thinking about norms and popular beliefs;
• use statistics as a tool for understanding;
• value the reliability and transparency of official data.

Ideas for exploring the theme

Students may, for example:

• challenge a social norm or an average;
• denounce or illustrate a stereotype;
• represent human, cultural, physical or behavioural diversity.

What is expected

Participants must create a poster illustrating a contrast between:

• a preconceived idea or prejudice,
• and reality as measured by reliable statistical data.
  

The poster must include:

• an original photo taken by the group (no stock images, no AI);
• a creative integration of data (charts, visualisations, infographics);
• a title and a short explanatory text (max. 150 words).

Evaluation criteria

Projects will be assessed based on:

• clarity and relevance of the message;
• originality and creativity;
• quality of data visualisation;
• artistic quality (composition, lighting, overall aesthetics);
• clarity of the title and text.
  

Students may participate only in the photo contest and will be eligible for the Best Photo Prize.