Where to find social data and indicators on Latin America and the Caribbean

Addressing the social and economic inequalities faced by people in Latin America and the Caribbean requires quantitative data and contextual information. This knowledge allows us to improve public policy decisions, which must be based on evidence. At the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), we have developed several tools that bring users closer to data and indicators of social development in the region.

Available data on people in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Data and Indicators of Latin America and the Caribbean portal is a resource that allows access to indicator visualizations obtained from censuses and household surveys, as well as to the necessary data for their construction.

On one hand, the General data by country dashboard presents prioritized social indicators that provide a general overview of the situation in each country. On the other hand, the Gender and Diversity Data by Country dashboard uses census data and presents social indicators for the diverse population groups that are prioritized in the IDB.

This type of dashboard allows us to observe some of the existing gender and diversity gaps in the region. For example, the labor participation rate for women is 44% in Mexico, while men have a participation rate of 79%. If we look at this gap for people with disabilities, labor participation is much lower than the national average, 53% for men and 33% for women. Similarly, we can also observe important gaps in the level of household access to certain services. For example, only 36% of households led by people belonging to an indigenous people had internet access in 2020 compared to 54% of the total population.

Source: Data and Indicators from Latin America and the Caribbean, IDB (2024).

What data is available and how is it obtained?

There are two ways to download these indicators:

1. From the website.
2. Through the IDB SocialData library.

IDB SocialData is a library that allows access through any of the statistical software (R, Python and Stata) to a variety of indicators on topics such as poverty, health, education, labor markets, migration and diversity in a centralized format for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Population censuses and household surveys are the main source of these indicators. Through a dashboard you can access the complete list of indicators according to theme, as well as availability by country and year.

These tools are valuable for promoting equity and inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean. Using them provides accurate and relevant information to inform policies and programs that address social and economic inequalities in the region. With access to quality data, we can move towards more just and prosperous societies for all people. We invite you to get to know them.

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