Who produces official data in Latin America and the Caribbean? Statistical governance and democracy

Abstract

This article examines who produces official statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean. Why this institutional question matters for statistical performance, democratic accountability, and public policy. While official statistics are commonly assumed to be produced by National Statistical Offices, empirical evidence from the region reveals a more fragmented production model in which Central Banks plays a central role, particularly in macroeconomic statistics. Drawing on original institutional mapping, comparative legal analysis, descriptive statistics, and an exploratory panel regression covering Latin America and the Caribbean countries over the period 2016-2023, the article shows that statistical performance is shaped not only by political regime. In conclusion, assigning inflation statistics to the central bank may reduce statistical performance, whereas assigning GDP production has a more ambiguous effect, which can be neutral, positive, or negative depending on the country. The level of democracy plays a decisive role, as stronger democratic accountability can mitigate or even reverse the adverse effects of central bank-based statistical production. Inflation is one of the most politically sensitive economic indicators because it directly affects citizens’ daily lives and purchasing power. Because central banks play a central role in controlling inflation through monetary policy, assigning them responsibility for producing inflation statistics raises potential governance concerns.