Where is the data? Accountability, suicide rates and race

Closing our blog series for Black History Month, Sara Bucheeri of the newly founded Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS), reflects on the organisation’s journey so far in holding institutions to account and advocating for racialised communities in Scotland, highlighting the gaps in the data, and what is needed to move forward.

CW: mention of suicide.

It’s been over two months since the passing of Professor Jason Arday. As we continue to reflect on this tragedy, one recurring theme continues to surface; where is the data? Data is not simply a technical exercise. It determines what is visible, what is prioritised, and ultimately whose experiences are recognised and acted upon. Where evidence gaps exist, patterns of inequality can remain hidden, and accountability can become difficult to establish. AROS, working in partnership with local racialised communities, is helping to create the conditions so that anti-racist understanding, scrutiny, accountability, implementation and monitoring become routine and unavoidable features of Scotland’s public sector. Through this work, we aim to strengthen transparency, improve decision-making, and contribute to a measurable reduction in systemic racism across Scotland.

We have met with the Strategic Anti-Racism team at the Scottish Government, asking what data the Scottish Government holds on suicide rates of Black men in Scotland. The response exposed significant gaps in the available evidence; with methodological limitations often resulting in sample sizes too small to produce robust conclusions. But the discussions highlighted broader challenges; race is not recorded on death certificates, ethnicity data can be inconsistently captured across systems, and analytical limitations can make meaningful examination difficult. As a result, important questions are left unanswered, lived experiences can go unaccounted for, and race continues to operate as a hierarchy that can shape life chances and, ultimately, death.

We know there is a problem and we know there are significant gaps in our understanding of it. Yet recognising those gaps is not enough; the harm continues. The consequences are real, with prevention and intervention efforts often failing to recognise the needs and experiences of our communities.

Data matters. Communities should not need perfect datasets to validate their experiences before action is taken. Lived experience is evidence too. While better data is essential, its absence cannot be allowed to become an excuse for inaction. A lack of data should not mean that those experiences become invisible, nor should it be used to dismiss concerns that communities have been raising for years. Action and accountability cannot wait for perfect information.

These discussions reinforce why AROS is developing its Digital Interactive Library. The platform will bring together evidence, research, case studies and examples of good practice in anti-racism from across Scotland and beyond. Importantly, it will also help identify and highlight evidence gaps that require further attention, drawing attention to areas where further research, data collection and action are needed.

Dr Manira Ahmad, AROS Strategic Advisory Board Vice Chair and Chief Officer of Public Health Scotland, stated:

“As Vice Chair of AROS, I am struck by a simple but important question: who becomes visible when we collect data, and who remains unseen when we do not?

Data is a powerful tool for change, but when it is incomplete, inconsistent, or absent, it can limit our ability to understand people's experiences and respond effectively. Yet we must also recognise that communities have been speaking about racism and its impacts for generations. Their experiences should not be discounted simply because the systems around them have failed to capture the full picture.

Creating an anti-racist Scotland requires courage, transparency, and collective leadership. It means being honest about where evidence gaps exist while remaining determined to act on what we already know. The challenge before us is not simply to collect better data, but to create systems that are accountable, equitable and responsive to the people they serve.

The questions raised in this blog should prompt all of us, especially those in positions of leadership, to reflect on our responsibilities. If we are serious about tackling racial inequalities, then anti-racism must be embedded in how we design policy, deliver services, measure progress, and hold ourselves accountable for change.

This work is too important to leave to goodwill alone. It requires commitment, partnership, and action. Together, we have an opportunity to build a Scotland where no community is invisible and where evidence and lived experience combine to drive meaningful and lasting change.”

AROS firmly believe that Scotland has both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead. We know that better data collection is possible. We know that stronger scrutiny is possible. We know that meaningful anti-racist action is possible. The question is no longer whether we can do better. The question is whether we are willing to act with the urgency and commitment that the moment demands.

To learn more about the work of AROS please click here.