Managing the politics of health data during COVID-19: a comparative institutional analysis

Abstract

This article investigates the political dynamics of health statistics during COVID-19, a period marked by intensified reliance on quantitative data. It examines how institutional configurations shaped the governance and politics of pandemic data. Using the concept of ‘statistical systems’, the article presents a comparative typology of formal structures and informal norms for official data production and dissemination, and tests how these influenced data politics during the crisis. Drawing on interviews with health officials and experts in Australia, Sweden, the UK, and the USA, the analysis reveals how technical and political challenges in data use were encountered and addressed. Despite facing similar pressures, countries diverged in managing data-related problems and pursuing structural reforms. The findings demonstrate that institutions critically condition data governance during crises. Efforts to redesign data systems should account for embedded institutional patterns that shape data governance and influence public trust across national contexts.