Author: Michele Marius

Although data is considered the new oil, across the Caribbean region, it is becoming increasingly evident that we do not fully appreciate the value of data, as it is not comprehensively reflected in the policies and structures established in Caribbean countries. As a result, we are grappling with several issues, including data protection, privacy, data sovereignty, data ethics and management, to name just a few. With Dr Alexis Santos, a Demographer and Associate Professor at Penn State University in the United States, we discuss the state of data and statistics in the Caribbean, along with the role data should be playing in our lives and societies; what makes data authoritative, trustworthy and appropriate for us to rely on; and why Caribbean countries need to become more self-sufficient in collecting and controlling their data.