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Abstract

Discussions on the collection of ethnoracial data in official statistics reflect not only institutional priorities but also broader struggles over visibility, recognition, and democratic accountability. This research examines how these dynamics unfold in Portugal, with a particular focus on the debates surrounding the 2021 Population Census and the subsequent development of the Survey on Origins and Living Conditions (ICOT). Drawing on interviews, web archive research, and historical analysis of governmental and statistical office documentation, the project investigates how ethnoracial data became a central point of contestation within Portuguese statistical governance. In the lead-up to the 2021 Census, a working group of academics, civil society, and government representatives recommended including an optional question on ethnoracial self-identification. Statistics Portugal rejected the proposal, citing concerns about data quality, comparability, and methodological limits, while announcing the development of a specialised survey. In the aftermath of this decision, ICOT emerged as a key institutional response. Conceived as a survey rather than a core census instrument, ICOT represents an effort to collect, for the first time in the country since colonial times, official data on ethnoracial self-identification while operating within a more controlled methodological and ethical framework. Its design reflects broader transformations in contemporary European official statistics, where quality is understood not only in terms of accuracy, but also in relation to risk management, confidentiality, interpretability, and trust. Through a staged process, including pilot testing, iterative revisions, and engagement with interviewers and institutional actors, ICOT illustrates how sensitive data are produced through reflexive and incremental practices rather than through immediate integration into large-scale statistical infrastructures. At the same time, the development of ICOT reveals a series of unresolved tensions. While it responds to demands for ethnoracial visibility, it also redistributes them into a more bounded institutional setting, limiting active forms of citizen participation and postponing debates on data ownership and long-term governance. Preliminary findings indicate that, despite the availability of data, the uptake of ICOT still remains limited beyond specialist circles, raising questions about its policy impact and broader public engagement. These dynamics point to a persistent tension between institutional logics of data stewardship and emerging claims for data justice and collective agency over ethnoracial information. The project argues that ICOT should be understood not as a definitive solution to the controversies surrounding the 2021 Census, but as a diagnostic intervention within a broader process of institutional learning. By analysing how political demands for recognition are reframed as methodological and procedural challenges, the research contributes to understanding how official statistics negotiate statistical authority and statistical citizenship between democratic expectations and the structural constraints of data production. In doing so, it advances ongoing debates on the role of official statistics in addressing inequality, fostering trust, and shaping inclusive forms of governance in contemporary Europe. Outputs will include a peer-reviewed article, contributions to a co-edited special issue and book, and the development of visualisation tools translating research findings into accessible formats to the public, alongside the preparation of competitive funding applications building on the project's results.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Kopper Moisés
• Fellow: Linkevicius De Andrade Daniela

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Funding

• BOF

Project type(s)

• Research Project