The State of Human Development Data and Statistical Capacity Building in Developing Countries

During the past decades, strengthening the statistical capacity of developing countries has been, and still is, an important area of assistance for the institutions of the United Nations (UN) family. Many UN agencies have also been collecting and disseminating data in their own field of expertise. More recently, with the global Human Development Report (HDR) and then the National Human Development Reports, the UN Development Program (UNDP) has also become a user of statistics, as well as a recognised producer of development indicators, the best known being the Human Development Index. In contrast to the UN family’s interest in development statistics, this field has not been considered a priority in the past by most donors and, arguably, by many developing countries. For various reasons, however, there are now indications that this situation might be changing and that recipients and donors have become more aware of the importance of reliable statistical data for development. In particular, there is at present a growing interest in data on poverty and human development.