In the podcast Let's Talk About Business, Dr. Orville Disdier, executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, together with Dr. Ronald Hernández, manager of statistical projects, addressed various topics about the role of statistics in making informed decisions.

Among these issues, they highlighted one of the most debated — and often misinterpreted — concepts, inequality.

In a simple way, they describe it as the distance between those who have greater and lower purchasing power within a society. The larger that gap, the greater the inequality. In the case of Puerto Rico, they pointed out that, although not all people live in poverty, there is a significant difference between the extremes. Even if the group with the highest purchasing power is small, its impact on measurement is large due to this marked difference.

Why does it matter to understand this?

Because inequality is not just an economic fact. It is linked to social factors such as access to education, opportunities and even social tensions that can arise when the gaps are very wide.

In addition, the doctors emphasized that correctly interpreting these data makes it possible to better evaluate initiatives—such as economic aid or public policies—that seek to reduce this gap.

In short:

Understanding inequality is key to making informed decisions and building a more equitable society. We share the interview for the benefit of all and so that they can expand on these and other topics.

Access the interview: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5WDAUhFpJY9PKoQFoLmPV1?si=CtZVKuCKRMSg0h793ZbeGQ&pi=-e_fQ8PaS9WJi&t=17

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. BRFSS Prevalance and Trends Data [online]. 2025. [accessed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:40:15 GMT].

URL: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence.

Graphic: Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

Note: Adults 18 years of age or older.

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Today, March 4th, World Obesity Day, is an opportunity to reflect on a public health challenge that continues to grow in many parts of the world, including Puerto Rico.

According to data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the prevalence of obesity in Puerto Rico shows an upward trend over the last decade among adults aged 18 and over, going from 26.3% in 2011 to 36.2% in 2024.

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics promotes access to information that allows us to better understand the challenges we face as a society and to support informed decision-making.

On World Obesity Day, we're sharing this graphic to promote informed conversation and analysis of available data.

Learn more about this day at: https://www.worldobesityday.org

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The Institute participated in the public hearing on “Protecting, Managing and Preserving Digital Evidence in Criminal Cases”.

From the Institute's perspective, the regulation of digital evidence in criminal proceedings must explicitly incorporate a statistical and data governance approach that strengthens the quality, integrity, traceability and availability of the information that underpins judicial and public policy decision-making.

The Institute recognizes the relevance of the proposed issues and supports the development of a legal framework that, in addition to establishing substantive obligations, enables the generation of indicators, standardized administrative records and interoperable systems to monitor the performance of the criminal justice system in terms of digital evidence, while respecting the principles of confidentiality, protection of personal data and fundamental rights.

Access the explanatory memorial: https://www.estadisticas.pr.gov/blogposts/memorial-explicativo-para-la-vista-publica-proteccion-manejo-y-conservacion-de-evidencia-digital-en-casos-penales