Africa is generating increasing amounts of data, but gaps in how countries integrate, trust and use that information are limiting its potential to improve public services and livelihoods, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has warned.
The warning came as African statistical and geospatial leaders gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday for the 10th session of the Statistical Commission for Africa (StatCom-Africa), where governments and development partners are seeking ways to turn official statistics into more effective policy decisions.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of labour market challenges that demonstrate why headline economic indicators may not fully capture the realities facing African households.
According to ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete, Africa’s unemployment rate stood at 6.3 per cent in 2025, while 84.4 per cent of employment was informal.
The figures highlight a measurement challenge for policymakers: unemployment rates alone cannot explain the quality, security or conditions of work available to millions of people across the continent.
Better labour market data could help governments understand these realities and design policies that respond more accurately to the needs of workers and communities.
“Data is not an end in itself. Its value lies in informing decisions, reaching underserved communities, and creating opportunities for inclusive growth,” Gatete said.
He called for stronger, better-funded and more inclusive statistical systems, urging governments to modernise census and civil registration systems, protect statistical integrity as new technologies are adopted, and integrate statistical and geospatial information.
He also emphasised the need for predictable financing to sustain national statistical systems, with ECA pledging to work through its African Centre for Statistics and partners to help mobilise resources.
Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie, who officially opened the meeting, stressed the importance of reliable data in measuring development and called for statistical systems capable of responding to an increasingly digital future.
Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Yusuf Murangwa, similarly highlighted the importance of investing in statistical capacity and collaboration to ensure data translates into tangible development outcomes.
The meeting is being held jointly with the 12th meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Africa and the 12th session of the Forum on African Statistical Development.
The combined discussions seek to strengthen the links between conventional statistics and geospatial information, which can help governments understand where populations live, where services are located and which communities may be underserved.
StatCom-Africa serves as the continent’s highest decision-making body on statistics, responsible for setting statistical standards and developing concepts and methods used at national, subregional and continental levels.
Delegates are expected to conclude the session on October 23 with commitments aimed at improving how data informs decisions and contributes to better living conditions across Africa.
However, the statement announcing the meeting did not specify the financing commitments expected from participating governments or establish measurable targets for improving the use of data in public policy.
The challenge ahead will be ensuring that stronger statistical systems deliver more than improved data collection, translating reliable evidence into decisions that respond to the needs of African communities.
Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), distributed by APO Group, October 22, 2026.
