Op-Ed: State of the Territory | Flying Blind: The Urgent Need for Data-Driven Policy in the U.S. Virgin Islands

In today’s world, data drives policy. Without credible, up-to-date data, any meaningful progress in the public sphere remains elusive, leaving communities flying blind, disconnected from reality and sound decision-making.

For the U.S. Virgin Islands, the absence of robust data systems has left a gap so wide that federal agencies have paused critical economic reporting, putting the territory’s progress in further jeopardy. The recent announcement from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that it will discontinue producing GDP statistics for the U.S. Virgin Islands due to “severe data issues” and “untimely unaudited financial statements” is a wake-up call for all who care about the Virgin Islands’ future. For a territory facing negative economic growth, shrinking private investment, a declining population, and a cost of living second only to Hawaii, accurate data is not just a convenience—it’s a necessity. Without it, the government and the people are left in the dark, unable to make informed decisions or attract the investment that is critical for sustainable growth.

Reliable data collection and transparent reporting are pillars of governance. In most U.S. jurisdictions, the BEA, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and other agencies provide timely, precise data that local governments depend on for economic planning and policy-making. However, the Virgin Islands lacks an equivalent infrastructure, which has real consequences. It’s no coincidence that federal monitors remain in the Virgin Islands: their presence is a direct result of the territory’s inability to provide the data needed to ensure accountability.