Over the period October 15th to 20th, the Statistical Institute of Belize will be celebrating Statistics Week. During this week, the Institute will be observing two important events: Caribbean Statistics Day on October 15th and World Statistics Day on October 20th under the theme ‘Connecting the world with data we can trust’. The observance of these two occasions seeks to improve awareness of statistics at the national, regional, and global levels, highlight information about the process of producing statistics, promote the use of statistics in a wide variety of areas and increase confidence in the statistics produced. This year’s theme is especially important in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic, as statistics have played a vital role in keeping the public informed about COVID-19. Such statistics include the number of tests completed, confirmed cases, deaths, recovered cases, and active cases.

As part of our safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Institute will be celebrating Statistics Week virtually. Starting Thursday, October 15th, persons can visit our Facebook Page and listen to recorded messages from various data producers such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Central Bank of Belize, and Belize Tourism Board about the types of statistics they produce, and their importance for planning and making informed decisions. On Friday, October 16th, we will be having a Virtual Exhibition via our Facebook page. The exhibition will feature statistics produced by various organizations in Belize, including the SIB. The Institute will also be making virtual presentations to schools across the country on October 19th and 20th. Persons can also visit our Facebook Page on October 20th to hear from some of our International Partners in Statistics, such as Statistics Canada and the Caricom Secretariat, about the importance of producing data we can trust.

We wish to thank all the participants in this year’s celebratory activities, and we invite the public to join us in observing Statistics Week by visiting our Facebook Page to access these activities. We also take this opportunity to thank residents and other data providers across the country, from whom we have obtained valuable information that allows the SIB to produce accurate, timely, reliable, and accessible information pertaining to the country’s economic, demographic, and social conditions.

From everyone at the Statistical Institute of Belize, we encourage you to continue practicing social distancing. Stay safe Belize!

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