Data are fundamental tools of democratic governance as they allow for greater transparency and accountability. The provision of quality statistics is essential for planning and monitoring in both the public and private sectors. Without good data government, businesses and individuals are unable to assess past performances and make appropriate plans for the future. The value of statistics to development was emphasised in the United Nation’s report A World that Counts - Mobilising the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, which stated:

“Data are the lifeblood of decision making and the raw material for accountability. Without high quality data providing the right information on the right things at the right time; designing, monitoring and evaluating effective policies becomes almost impossible”.

The demand for quality statistics is increasing as Jamaica, like the rest of the world, moves towards more evidenced-based decision-making. Global development frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) have also ushered in renewed and urgent attention on the need for better data and statistics to monitor progress and inform policy and decision-making.

Jamaica has had a long history of producing national statistics with the first record of statistical activity dating back to the population census of 1844. However, the provision of official statistics to the government and people of Jamaica on a regular basis began in 1946. The need for statistical information to assist policy makers, following the implementation of adult suffrage, led to the passing of the Statistics Act in 1946. This gave birth to Jamaica’s first National Statistics Office (NSO), the Central Bureau of Statistics, which was tasked to process and analyse the 1943 Population Census and determine the size of the population in preparation for the implementation of adult suffrage and the election of 1944. In the ensuing years, the range of statistics produced in Jamaica has expanded, covering other social, economic and environmental aspects of the country.

Official statistics in Jamaica are, however, produced in a decentralized system and in the absence of a coordinated framework. This has resulted in the absence of harmonised concepts, definitions, methodologies, standards, classifications and geographic demarcations. This lack of coordination among the producers of official statistics in Jamaica limits the ability of Jamaica’s National Statistics System (NSS) to respond to the data requirements of policy makers, businesses, and the public. The data requirements of VISION 2030 Jamaica, regional CARICOM work programmes aimed at measuring the impact of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), International Trade Agreements and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) all drive the need for the production and dissemination of relevant statistics in a coordinated manner.

In an effort to address these and other weaknesses in the system a number of strategies are being developed by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) aimed at establishing a coordinated National Statistics System (NSS). The objective of an NSS is to ensure co-ordination and co-operation among producers and users of official statistics in order to advance standardisation, quality, consistency, comparability and the use of evidence as the basis for policy choices and decision-making.