BRICS should work more closely in the statistical field, China's top statistician said Thursday.

Speaking at a meeting of statistics chiefs from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Ning Jizhe, head of China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), proposed a better mechanism for the meetings of BRICS statisticians with more collaboration, communication and coordination.

Ning also suggested that more indicators of sustainability be added to the BRICS Joint Statistics Publication, an annual report on social and economic development, to demonstrate the role of BRICS in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Authorities should monitor the data for new economic drivers and new industries to provide accurate figures for new sources of growth, Ning said.

At Thursday's meeting, the NBS unveiled an index tracking the performance of China's new growth drivers, which is composed of sub-indices for economic vitality, digital economy, innovation, economic upgrading and knowledge.

The ninth BRICS summit, which concluded Tuesday in the southeastern city of Xiamen, adopted a declaration reaffirming the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.

Combined GDP of the five countries accounted for 22.53 percent of world economy in 2015. Their contribution to world economic growth exceeded 50 percent in the past 10 years. Their total outward investment accounted for 12 percent in the world in 2016.

(Xinhua News Agency, September 7, 2017)