International Comparison Program: 2021 cycle in Latin America and the Caribbean. Methodological document and main results

Comparison of economies is essential for public policymaking but considerably hindered by the fact that statistics expressed in local currencies are not directly comparable. Market exchange rates give a distorted view, as they do not reflect the differences in price levels between countries. To overcome this challenge, the International Comparison Program (ICP), coordinated by the World Bank, produces purchasing power parities (PPP). These indicators eliminate price differences, allowing for comparison of real GDP volumes and calculation of the real size of economies. Thirty-six economies of L…

Disaster statistics and risk management: current situation and outlook

In recent years, environmental and climate trends have pointed to a progressive increase in the frequency, impact, intensity and unpredictability of hazardous events. These changes, combined with the consequences of scientific projections about future scenarios, show that disaster risk represents a structural challenge to sustainable development. Given this reality, disaster risk management has become a strategic priority for protecting human lives, reducing economic losses, guiding investments, strengthening resilience and supporting adaptation to climate change.…

Use of satellite imagery to produce regional statistics disaggregated by territory

In the information age, the production of official statistics has evolved significantly from the traditional approach of classical statistical operations. The use of non-traditional information sources has gained relevance among national statistical offices in the region due to their ability to provide more accurate, timely, and detailed data.…

Manual on the use of administrative data and its integration for statistical purposes related to children and adolescents

This manual provides guidance on the use of administrative data for statistical purposes related to children and adolescents, with a focus on data linkage and cross-sectoral integration. Prepared by the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean with leadership and technical guidance from the National Institute of Statistics of Chile and the National Institute of Statistics of Uruguay, in their capacity as co-chairs of the Working Group on Child Statistics of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the manual ai…

Manual on the use of administrative data and its integration for statistical purposes related to children and adolescents: summary

Practical guide for production of harmonized statistics on forced displacement and migration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Summary

Biennial programme of regional and international cooperation activities, 2026-2027, of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Peer review mechanism of the code of good practice in statistics for Latin America and the Caribbean

Strategic plan, 2026-2035

Annotated provisional agenda. Thirteenth meeting of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Report of the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

The data revolution: enhancing information to promote sustainable development

There is a growing demand for more and better real-time information to make evidence-based decisions. This compels us to reflect on how official statistics are produced and, more importantly, on the range of information sources available in a world generating an immense and growing volume of data enabled by new technologies. These new data sets go beyond traditional data ecosystems and call for innovation in processes, mechanisms, and tools to generate knowledge from a chaotic ocean of unstructured data, which in many cases exceeds the capabilities of current official statistical information s…

Provisional agenda. Thirteenth meeting of the Statistical Conference of the Americas of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Perceptions of Governability and Governance in Latin America

This edition of ECLAC Statistical Briefings presents an overview of public perceptions and opinions regarding multiple dimensions of governability and governance in 18 countries of Latin America. The information spans a period of between two and three decades ending as recently as 2023, depending on the information available. The overview is based on certain dimensions of governance proposed by the Praia Group on Governance Statistics,1 complemented by perception indicators that can be used to approximate democratic governability. Governance and democratic governability are so closely linked t…

Enhancing data for development: policy imperatives for tracking the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean. Policy Brief

For small island developing States (SIDS), sustainable development is a delicate balance of pursuing economic growth, social development and environmental stewardship in the context of economic volatility, social challenges, climate change threats and global uncertainties while striving to build resilience. Recognized as a special case for development since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, SIDS remain highly vulnerable to external shocks due to their small economies, limited connectivity and reliance on external markets. Over the years, global frameworks such …

Update on institutions producing environment statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2023

The production of environment statistics in the countries of the region is influenced by institutions’ progress in incorporating such statistics into their own production processes. As recognized in the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics,1 environment statistics span many disciplines and pull data from a wide range of sources. Many institutions in addition to national statistical offices and environmental agencies or ministries play a key role in the production of environment statistics, the result of gradual development and systematization of methodological resources, too…

Methodology for the 2021 cycle of the International Comparison Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean

The 2021 cycle of the International Comparison Programme (ICP) reflects the commitment of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to strengthening the region’s statistical systems and ensuring the Programme’s continuity, in keeping with the guidelines of the International Comparison Programme Global Office of the World Bank. Among the entities tasked with compiling economic data, ECLAC covers the third-highest number of countries and territories, although the region accounts for just 7.3% of global GDP. This was a significant challenge, all the more so given the con…

Statistics and indicators related to climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean

The demand for environmental, climate change and disaster statistics is increasing, both in the context of international agreements, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement, and at the national level. National-level demand is linked to the preparation of reports to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), plans and programmes related to development and other specific areas, national adaptation plans and climate change policies. With the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the United Nat…

Towards mainstreaming the gender perspective in statistical production in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin American and Caribbean countries have made progress towards mainstreaming the gender perspective in official statistical production, in line with the agreements adopted in the Regional Gender Agenda. At the thirteenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in 2016, the governments of the region agreed to “transforming data into information, information into knowledge and knowledge into political decisions” in pillar 9 of the Montevideo Strategy for Implementation of the Regional Gender Agenda within the Sustainable Development Framework …

Diagnosis and recommendations to integrate administrative records related to children: use of administrative records for better statistics on children and adolescents

By adopting the 2030 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) monitoring framework, countries are working towards improving the livelihoods and prospects for children and adolescents to ensure they reach their full potential. To this end, it is key to understand the circumstances in which they live, the barriers they face as well as which programmes and policies work for whom and under what conditions. One cannot improve what is not measured, and disaggregated data on children and adolescents by important dimensions, such as sex and gender, help to uncover how circumstanc…