How to Improve Statistics on Diverse Population Groups Through Communities of Practice?

In Latin America and the Caribbean, socio-economic disparities affecting diverse population groups persist. For example, Indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants have historically been excluded from public policies and development programs. Similarly, the LGBTQ+ population has faced exclusion and discrimination despite increasing social acceptance in some countries in the region.

Systematically including questions on race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation in national censuses could change this reality. While progress has been made, significant challenges remain in systematizing processes, using data, and ensuring the participation of these groups before and after data generation.

Furthermore, in some cases, there is no regional consensus or identification of best practices for carrying out statistical production processes on certain populations.

Communities of practice on the measurement of race, ethnicity, and sexual and gender diversity

In this context, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in coordination with ECLAC and the National Institute of Statistics of Chile, launched an initiative to improve the production of statistics on Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The goal is to better identify and understand the challenges these populations face in the region. This effort focuses on two communities of practice within the Knowledge Transmission Network (RTC). One community is dedicated to race and ethnicity statistics, and another focuses on variables related to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Both communities are spaces exclusively dedicated to the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in the region. Such spaces are designed to facilitate the exchange of experiences, challenges, best practices, and lessons learned on these topics.

These communities have already achieved two initial milestones:

1. A first virtual meeting with representatives from 11 countries that identified gaps and capacities in producing inclusive statistics. These needs will shape the discussion agenda among NSOs during 2025, defining priorities on how to better reflect the diversity of our countries and respond to the growing demand for information.
2. The official launch at the Fifth United Nations World Data Forum in Medellín, where the communities were officially presented to the Forum’s audience, bringing together key actors from NSOs, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector to reflect on how data can promote sustainable development, with a focus on innovation, inclusion, and ethics.

What is the objective of these communities of practice?

The main objective is to create collaborative spaces to share lessons learned, best practices, and develop a work agenda for National Statistical Offices interested in improving or including questions on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. The goal is to generate a common conceptual framework and technical recommendations for addressing these populations throughout the official statistical production process. This includes, among other stages, data collection, processing, and dissemination.

These communities of practice will enable NSOs to improve the integration and management of statistical knowledge on these topics. Through collaboration, innovative strategies will be developed to unify cooperative efforts, technical assistance, and joint initiatives, promoting the production of inclusive and high-quality statistics that are essential for the design of public policies and development programs in the region. These spaces represent a significant step forward in developing regional public goods in Latin America and the Caribbean, as recognized in this commitment.

Regional cooperation to strengthen local efforts

Regional coordination and cooperation are essential to addressing the socio-economic disparities that affect these diverse population groups. The existence of common reference frameworks not only improves the quality of comparable data at the regional level. It also represents a cost-effective solution that fosters synergy among NSOs. The development of regional standards for questions on sexual orientation, gender, race, and ethnicity would significantly contribute to advancing this agenda.

In the coming months, through these communities of practice, we will continue organizing dialogues among NSOs and webinars to strengthen the capacities of actors involved in statistical production.

Data is not just numbers; it represents stories, rights, and opportunities to transform realities. We invite everyone to join this conversation and participate in the open events that, through our communities of practice, will continue to make a difference.