Developing a Sustainable Statistics Infrastructure...
UN Handbook on Management and Organization of National Statistical Systems, 2025
Bibliographic information
Geographic coverage: United Nations
Subject areas: Work Programme
Resource type(s): Manuals and tools
Publication year
2025
Number of pages
586
Publishing entity/ies: United Nations
Dr. Armstrong Alexis, CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General, called on statisticians, policymakers and partners to strategise on closing data gaps and scaling up innovative approaches to improve the statistical landscape in the Caribbean.
The Deputy Secretary-General spoke on Thursday, 30 October 2025, at the opening of Caribbean Data Day, which is hosted jointly by the CARICOM Secretariat and the World Bank as one of the series of statistics-related events in Willemstad, Curacao.
In his remarks, he referred to challenges Caribbean countries face in producing data to measure monetary and multi-dimensional poverty and vulnerability, especially those linked to climate change. The DSG emphasised the value of statisticians, policymakers, and international development partners meeting to deliberate and strategise on closing data gaps and scaling up innovative approaches to improve the statistical landscape in the Caribbean.
The one-day event is aimed at exploring innovative approaches to address persistent data challenges. Its key focus will be on data needed to measure monetary and multidimensional poverty, track Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and provide insights into vulnerability and resilience, especially in relation to climate-related shocks.
There are four sessions: Poverty Analytics and Statistical Performance in the Caribbean; Regional Initiatives for Enhancing Statistical Capacity in the Caribbean; New and Improved Approaches for Measuring the SDG and Resilience; and Making Data Count for Policy: Using, Communicating and Disseminating Data.
Please read the remarks by the CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General:
I am honoured to once again be joining you for this annual gathering of regional Statisticians. When I assumed office as the Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean Community in 2021, I took the decision to pay particular attention to the Regional Statistics Programme and to manifest my support by making myself available annually to stand side by side with you at your annual week of Statistics. I am therefore honored to be joining you once again, and in particular to be with you for this the opening of the Caribbean Data Day, a special feature of this year’s Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS).
I begin by expressing solidarity with other Members States of CARICOM, particularly with Jamaica, Haiti, The Bahamas, and, fingers crossed, I will not have to add much more than this. But we all know that the ravages of Hurricane Melissa have brought destruction and devastation to our Member States, causing us to be even more concerned about the impact of the climate crisis on our countries, our people and our Region.
Just as any other successful mission, the desired result of eradicating poverty and inequality in all its forms across the CARICOM Region is better achieved if we join forces with others who share a similar desire. As the old saying goes, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. This adage is manifested in today’s collaborative venture, wherein, together with the World Bank we are providing a platform to you as leaders in Statistics in the Community to reflect on, respond to and shape the relevance of data in addressing some of the basic needs of our citizens.
You are no doubt aware that data is critical for measuring monetary and multidimensional poverty, tracking progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and providing insights into understanding vulnerability and resilience, and I share your desire to one day see greater value placed on Statisticians as critical cornerstones to an evidence-based, data-driven, knowledge-seeking modern Caribbean society. I trust that through conversations like that which will be held today, we shall move closer towards building better appreciation for consistent systems to capture and report data that is essential for monitoring progress toward our shared goal of wholesome and comprehensive human development.
The challenges faced by many Caribbean countries in producing the data needed to measure monetary and multi-dimensional poverty and vulnerability, especially those linked to climate change, can never be over emphasised. I am therefore pleased that we have created this rare and valuable opportunity for statisticians, policymakers, and international development partners to come together, to deliberate and strategise on closing data gaps, and scaling up innovative approaches to improve the statistical landscape in the Caribbean.
The many interventions led by the Regional Statistics Programme at the CARICOM Secretariat contribute to a number of overarching objectives. As a Community, we remain steadfast to ending hunger and poverty. Our efforts have focused on boosting regional food production to reduce dependence on imports. The Community’s 25 by 25 initiative was designed specifically to reduce our food import bill by 25% by 2025 and though there were factors that mitigated against achieving this target, Member States have redoubled their efforts in the expanded 25 by 25 plus initiative with a new target set for 2030. Our lived reality in CARICOM has brought us face-to-face with the devastating effects of the climate crisis and although we have all committed to the Sustainable Development Goals we see how exogenous variables that we neither contribute to nor have control over, are adversely impacting our ability to meet these goals by 2030.
Despite the challenges that sometime may appear daunting, it is incumbent upon us to confront some critical questions:
It is my sincere hope that today’s discussions will yield concrete recommendations and practical solutions to these pressing issues.
I wish to reiterate what I said in my opening remarks on Monday: that this Caribbean Data Day truly embodies the theme of this year’s meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians, “Improving Lives through Statistics: Strengthening and Innovating Together.”
By promoting the production and use of high-quality data, driven by innovation and technology, we are empowering ourselves to create and implement policies that can sustainably transform the lives of the people of our Caribbean Community, ensuring a better, more prosperous future for all.
The future of how statistics and data usage in decision-making shape our Caribbean Community rests not only in the hands of statisticians. It is a collective undertaking of which statisticians serve multiple roles including that of champions, advocates, knowledgeable experts, guardians and custodians, and the more opportunity that is made available for you to lead in shaping a modern society that is driven by data, the closer we as a society will get to building that evidence-based, data-driven, knowledge-seeking future that I referred to earlier. I therefore thank you all for availing yourselves of the opportunity to share in today’s event. Your presence, your insights and your unwavering commitment to advancing the power of statistics in the Caribbean is critical if we are to build a future where no one is left behind.
Thank you for the opportunity to share in today’s experience with you, and thank you to the government and people of Curacao for being such gracious hosts of this week’s series of meetings. I wish you fruitful deliberations as you embark upon the business before you in today’s programme.
I thank you.
Seon Thompson is both humbled and elated that his design was selected as the official logo of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS).
His design emerged as the winning entry from among 206 submissions in a competition organised by the CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with the SCCS, and with funding from the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) under the Strengthening of the Framework of CARICOM Integration and Cooperation Process (SFCICP) project. The logo competition is one of many activities marking the Year of Statistics, which ends in November. The theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Improving Lives through Statistics, Strengthening and Innovating Together’.
The logo embodies the vision, values, and mission of the SCCS, serving as a unifying emblem that reflects its vital role in advancing statistical development, collaboration, and cohesion across the Caribbean Community.
SAMPLE
SAMPLE
A national of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Thompson was present in Curaçao for the unveiling of the logo during the opening of the 50th Meeting of the SCCS on 27 October 2025. He expressed his hope that the logo “would last for the next 50 years of the SCCS.”
Mr. Thompson shared his reflections with the Communications Unit shortly after the unveiling.
Helen Royer, Director of Human Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between educational planners and national statistics officers at a technical dialogue convened during the 34th Meeting of the CARICOM Advisory Group on Statistics on 24 October 2025. She described this partnership as transformative, noting its potential to improve the accuracy and relevance of education data, strengthen policy-making, and reshape how data is collected and used to build more inclusive and resilient education systems.
Royer commended the AGS for its pioneering work in promoting data-driven decision-making across the Region. She framed the Dialogue as a key step toward deeper regional unity, aligning with CARICOM’s Strategic Plan for 2022–2030 while highlighting the importance of integrating statistical expertise into educational planning to support the implementation of the CARICOM Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy.
Please read her complete remarks below:
Let me begin by commending the Advisory Group on Statistics on the exemplary and pioneering work that you have been doing to advance the use of data for decision-making in the CARICOM region.
I am thrilled to be joining you in your 34th Meeting, and I want to place on record the Secretariat’s appreciation of the warm welcome that we have received from our friends and colleagues in Curacao.
I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the technical staff in the CARICOM Secretariat who worked to make this Meeting possible. Director Brizan, it was heartwarming to see your enthusiastic support for this Technical Dialogue when it was first proposed. I, therefore, commend the teams from the CARICOM Secretariat’s Human Resource Development and the Regional Statistics Programmes in executing this collaborative activity.
As I reflect on the rich discussions the education representatives had yesterday and the optimism that has propelled us into today’s discussions, I strongly believe that we are at a critical moment in educational planning in the region.
If this moment is handled well, it could represent an inflection point in how we approach data collection, handling and usage in educational planning. Let us, therefore, make an effort to ensure that our discussions today are rich, meaningful and solutions-oriented.
Today’s Dialogue is a concrete manifestation of the normative principle of Deeper Levels of CARICOM Unity, outlined in the CARICOM Secretariat’s Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2030.
Through this principle, the Secretariat is keen on identifying and supporting collaborative and cohesive approaches by seizing the opportunities to convert complementary activities into synergistic collaboration.
This technical dialogue between educational planning officers and national statistics officers is built on a shared commitment to promote the use of data in decision making – another idea embedded in the Secretariat’s Strategic Plan. Educational data is critical to the implementation of the CARICOM Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy.
Over the years, the Secretariat has made efforts to strengthen the education data ecosystem. At the Meeting of Education Ministers in 2024, for example, it was agreed that a generic statistical business process model should be developed for education data and that data integration should be prioritized.
These are critical areas in which this collaboration between national statistics officers and educational planners can be particularly useful. National statistics officers bring technical expertise in data collection, analysis, and quality assurance, while educational planners provide contextual understanding of policy priorities, resource allocation, and implementation challenges.
By working together, both groups can ensure that education data is accurate, timely, and aligned with national development goals. This partnership supports evidence-based planning, helps monitor progress toward education targets, and identifies gaps in access, quality, and equity.
Ultimately, this Technical Dialogue serves to enhance the effectiveness of education policies and ensures that decisions are grounded in reliable data, leading to more inclusive and resilient education systems.
I, therefore, look forward to the results of this discussion today and I am excited about the transformation in educational planning that it will catalyse.
CARICOM Guidelines and Protocols on the Collection and Use of Administrative Data on Violence against Women and Girls
Author(s)/editor(s)
Carol Watson Williams – Consultant, UN Women MCO – Caribbean
These guidelines are intended to help improve the quality of administrative data on VAWG, and the ethical practices which attend the collection of this data. Accordingly, the primary audience is those entities which produce administrative data on VAWG at the national and sub-national levels. These include, but are not limited to:
Geographic coverage: Latin America and the Caribbean
Subject areas: Ending violence against women and girls Gender equality and inequality
Resource type(s): Manuals and tools
UN Women office publishing: Caribbean Multi-Country Office
Publication year
2024
Number of pages
32
Publishing entity/ies: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
The Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS), which was endorsed by Heads of Government of CARICOM in July 2018, is the result of extensive work undertaken over several years by the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. The overarching theme of the CARICOM RSDS is “Building Resilience of the Caribbean Community “
The CARICOM RSDS forms the shared foundation for developing the region’s statistical capacity. Through this strategy, CARICOM National Statistical Offices commit to ensuring equitable access to official statistics to all categories of users and ensuring a high level of quality in the production and dissemination of official statistics in the Region.
The RSDS is guided by the five (5) Strategic Priorities, namely, 1-Standards and Harmonisation, 2-Governance, 3-Integrated Statistical Systems, 4-Innovation and 5-Advocacy and Communication. These Strategic Priorities, when implemented in an integrated manner, will seek to strengthen and position the national and regional statistical infrastructure to provide the statistics for evidence-based decision-making, towards the ultimate outcome of resilient economies and sustained economic growth and development of CARICOM countries.
About the 2020 Census Round
The 2020 Census Round is a coordinated effort by CARICOM Member States and Associate Members to collect population and housing data using internationally recommended standards. Although the reference year is 2020/2021, data collection and publication schedules vary by country, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The census provides essential information on:
Using Census Data
Census data are best used for population counts, small-area analysis, and demographic profiles. Because census years differ across countries, users should exercise caution when making regional comparisons.
Males– 191,667
Females– 206,498
Total– 398,165
Intercensal change– 13.3 %
Males– 130,037
Females– 139,053
Total– 269,090
Intercensal change– 3%
The Estimated Resident Population is derived from 2010 estimates, adjusted by births and deaths each year to 1st August 2021, and net migration
Tables: Census | Statistical Institute of Belize
Males– 195,695
Females– 201,789
Total– 397,484
Intercensal change– 23.3 %
Males– 30,690
Females– 33,089
Total– 63,779
Intercensal change– 1%
Males– 34,823
Females– 33,927
Total– 71,432*
Intercensal change– 29.2 %
* During the census of 2021, the gender of 61 individuals is not known. *
71432 is total estimated population
See more: Publications Census 2023 | Senso Kòrsou
Males– 70,162
Females– 85,596
Total– 155,826*
Intercensal change– 3 %
* During the census of 2023, the gender of 68 individuals is not known.
Males– 54,542
Females– 54,479
Total– 109,021
Intercensal change– 2.2 %
Males– 440,882
Females– 437,792
Total– 878,674
Intercensal change– 17.6 %
Males–
Females–
Total– 2,774,538
Intercensal change– 2.8 %
Males– 2,189
Females– 2,197
Total– 4,386
Intercensal change– 11%
Males– 25,000
Females– 26,320
Total– 51,320
Intercensal change– 8.7 %
Males– 84,714
Females– 87,118
Total– 171,832
Intercensal change– 3.8 %
Recent census data across 12 CARICOM countries shows significant variation in housing availability:
| COUNTRY | CENSUS YEAR | TOTAL POPULATION | SEX RATIO1 | TOTAL DEPENDENCY RATIO2 | MEDIAN AGE3 | DWELLING UNITS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | 2021 | 398,165 | 92.8 | 54 | 33 | 144,128 |
| Barbados | 2021 | 269,090 | 93.5 | 52 | 42.5 | 73,571 |
| Belize | 2022 | 397,484 | 97.0 | 49.8 | 25.7 | 110,718 |
| Bermuda | 2016 | 63,779 | 92.7 | 46 | 44 | 28,192 |
| Cayman Islands | 2021 | 71,432 | 102.6 | 31.5 | 38 | 29,699 |
| Curacao | 2023 | 155,826 | 82.0 | 45.9 | 49 | 60,075 |
| Grenada | 2022 | 109,021 | 100.1 | 53.7 | 34.7 | 40,990 |
| Guyana | 2022 | 878,674 | 100.7 | 218,019 | ||
| Jamaica | 2022 | 2,774,538 | 926,815 | |||
| Montserrat | 2023 | 4,386 | 99.6 | 56.3 | 43.5 | 2,252 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 2021 | 51,320 | 95.0 | 40.5 | 34 | 21,677 |
| Saint Lucia | 2022 | 171,832 | 97.2 | 44.5 | 36.8 | 65,951 |
The available census data for selected CARICOM countries indicates a general decline in average household size between the 2010 and 2020 census rounds.
Several countries showed moderate declines ranging between 5% and 7%.
St. Kitts and Nevis experienced the most pronounced decrease (–15%), from 2.8 to 2.4 persons per household, while Bahamas recorded a small decline of –3% and Cayman Islands remained essentially stable, with only a –1% change.
Several CARICOM countries postponed enumeration due to COVID-19, leading to variation in census years and publication timelines. This page is regularly updated to reflect the latest available data.
Last updated: January 2026
Regional Statistics Work Programme (RSWP)
Geographic coverage: Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Subject areas: Work Programme
Resource type(s): Manuals and tools
Publication year
2011
Number of pages
37
Publishing entity/ies: Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat
