The Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) was founded in 1999 to strengthen the capacity of statistical systems in low and middle-income countries, advocate for more and better funding to data and statistics, and convene global discussions about the role of data in sustainable development. Since 2006, the annual PARIS21 Partner Report on Support to Statistics (PRESS) has presented trends related to data and statistics funding in order to provide the global community with reliable information upon which to make funding decisions.
Timely, reliable and disaggregated data and statistics are fundamental in guiding national policy making to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and leave no one behind. However, even today at the halfway point of the SDGs, data gaps persist and the ambitious goals that the international community set for itself in 2015 – to end poverty and protect the planet by 2030 – are at risk. As the world experiences a confluence of crises, data and statistics are needed more than ever for inclusive, equitable and effective policy choices. Funding to data and statistics must be accelerated, and the rigorous and comprehensive analysis of the global funding landscape provided by PRESS can guide partners in understanding where and how to best fund data and statistics.
This year’s report uses the most recent data from the OECD’s Creditor Reporting System alongside a survey of multilateral donors to provide the first comprehensive overview of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on data and statistics. The 2022 report is also the first to use data from the Bern Network’s Clearinghouse for Financing Development Data, giving users access to in-depth data and more detailed information to inform better data and statistics policy choices.
The report starts with an overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on funding to data and statistics. A deep dive into funding for gender data follows, including a review of possible causes of recent trends in such funding. The report concludes with recommendations for the second half of the 2030 Agenda. More granular information in the statistical annex focuses on trends in specific regions and across specific recipients and donor groups.