Anguilla will make history on October 26 when it becomes the first time host of CARICOM’s annual statistical technical meetings, bringing regional statisticians and technical officers together to strengthen cooperation on census coordination, statistical research and data development across the Caribbean.
The meetings will include the 51st Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians, the Regional Census Coordinating Committee (RCCC) and the Regional Statistical Research Seminar.
The milestone highlights the role of Anguilla, a CARICOM Associate Member, in regional efforts to improve the collection, production and use of reliable statistics. Last year, the annual series was hosted by Curaçao, another Associate Member.
The meetings provide a forum for statisticians and technical officers to exchange knowledge, address shared challenges and coordinate approaches to producing comparable, high-quality data across the region.
Reliable statistics are essential to national and regional planning, including population censuses, economic analysis, social development programmes and evidence-based policymaking. Cooperation among Caribbean statistical offices is particularly important as governments rely on accurate data to assess conditions, allocate resources and measure development progress.
Ahead of this year’s sessions, CARICOM highlighted the experience of Lori-Rae Alleyne-Franklin, Anguilla’s Chief Statistician, who reflected on the 2025 meetings in Curaçao and discussed how the territory’s small Statistics Department manages its national statistical work programme.
Her account provides insight into the operational demands facing statistical offices in smaller Caribbean territories, where limited staffing and resources can place pressure on the delivery of national statistical responsibilities.
The October 26 sessions will bring regional expertise together to discuss census coordination, statistical research and other technical issues affecting the Caribbean’s statistical systems.
The meetings form part of CARICOM’s continuing efforts to strengthen regional statistical cooperation and support the production of data needed by governments and institutions to make informed decisions.
