Do countries capture their inclusive growth, sustainability, and poverty correctly? A study on statistical performance indicators defined by World Bank

Purpose Nowadays, informed decision-making is catching up. Technological advancements and computing ability further fuel and facilitate this tilt toward informed decision-making. In such a scenario, data is cynosure. Therefore, the ability to gather data by a nation (incredibly accurate public data) becomes equally important and relevant, as measured by statistical performance indicators (SPI). This study aims to explore the association of financial inclusion (FI); environmental, social and governance (ESG); poverty; and SPI. Design/methodology/approach The panel data of 140 nations for nine years are gathered to explore the association of FI, ESG and poverty with the SPI. Panel data estimation is conducted to arrive at the results. Findings The findings of this study highlight mixed outcomes for FI. ESG is positively associated with SPI, but poverty is not associated with SPI. These findings imply that an increase in FI may reduce the statistical capacity of the nations. An increase in ESG increases the capacity. However, change in poverty does not influence the SPI. The recommendation based on this study’s outcome suggests auditing the FI and poverty vis-à-vis SPI to ensure SPI’s veracity and robustness in the long run. Originality/value The way in which the individual social, economic and environmental indicators influence the SPI needs to be tested to establish the veracity and robustness of the SPI, which is barely researched as observed in the literature.