# Office of Statistics > old office of the Salvadoran government **Wikidata**: [Q104668254](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104668254) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/office-of-statistics ## Summary The Office of Statistics was a government agency of El Salvador responsible for statistical services. Founded on November 5, 1881, it operated out of San Salvador and was eventually replaced by the Dirección General de Estadística. It functioned as a subdivision under the Ministry of Development, playing an early institutional role in the Salvadoran government's data collection infrastructure. ## Key Facts - The Office of Statistics was established on November 5, 1881, as confirmed by El Salvador's *Diario Oficial* (published November 6, 1881). - Its headquarters were located in San Salvador, El Salvador. - It is classified as both a **statistical service** and a **government agency** — the latter being an organizational part of a government responsible for specific public services. - The agency operated under the **Ministry of Development** beginning February 11, 1898, as recorded in the digital archive of the *Diario Oficial* (published February 12, 1898). - It was succeeded by the **Dirección General de Estadística**. - The top leadership position was titled **Director of the Office of Statistics**. - Its jurisdictional scope applied exclusively to **El Salvador**. - Alternate names include **Oficina de Estadística de El Salvador** and **Oficina Central de Estadística**. ## FAQs **What was the Office of Statistics?** It was a Salvadoran government agency tasked with providing statistical services. It served as the national body for data collection and reporting within El Salvador's public administration. **When was it created?** The office was established on November 5, 1881. Its founding was documented in the official government gazette, the *Diario Oficial*, published the following day. **What replaced it?** The Dirección General de Estadística succeeded the Office of Statistics, taking over its responsibilities for national statistical functions. **Where was it headquartered?** Its headquarters were in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. **What was its relationship to other government bodies?** Beginning in 1898, it operated as a subordinate body under the Ministry of Development. It was a government agency — a category of organization within a government responsible for specific public services such as health, education, transportation, or, in this case, statistics. ## Why It Matters The Office of Statistics represents an early effort by the Salvadoran state to institutionalize data collection and statistical reporting. Created in 1881, it emerged during a period of nation-building in Latin America, when governments were increasingly recognizing the need for systematic information about their populations, economies, and territories. Its placement under the Ministry of Development starting in 1898 reflects the way statistical capacity was linked to national development planning. Although it no longer exists, it laid the groundwork for El Salvador's modern statistical infrastructure, now carried forward by its successor, the Dirección General de Estadística. ## Notable For - Being one of the early government agencies in El Salvador dedicated specifically to statistical services. - Operating continuously from 1881 until its replacement, spanning a period of significant political and economic change in El Salvador. - Carrying the formal leadership title of "Director of the Office of Statistics," indicating a structured administrative hierarchy. - Being referenced in official Salvadoran government publications dating back to 1881 and 1898, demonstrating its formal legal standing. ## Body ### History and Founding The Office of Statistics was officially established on **November 5, 1881**, during a period when the Salvadoran government was formalizing its institutional framework. Its creation was recorded in the *Diario Oficial*, El Salvador's official government gazette, with the relevant publication dated November 6, 1881. The founding documentation is preserved in the digital archives of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) and identifies the relevant legislative page as page 437. ### Organizational Structure As a **government agency** and **statistical service**, the Office of Statistics was an organizational component of the Salvadoran government dedicated to specific public services — in this case, the collection, analysis, and dissemination of statistical data. The agency was headquartered in **San Salvador**, the nation's capital, and its jurisdiction applied exclusively to El Salvador. The agency's top executive position was designated **Director of the Office of Statistics**. ### Parent Organization On **February 11, 1898**, the Office of Statistics was placed under the authority of the **Ministry of Development**. This administrative reorganization was documented in the *Diario Oficial* and is preserved through the Imprenta Nacional's digital archive service. The move to the Ministry of Development aligned the statistical office with broader national development objectives. ### Succession The Office of Statistics was eventually replaced by the **Dirección General de Estadística** (General Directorate of Statistics), which assumed the responsibilities of national statistical compilation and reporting. The specific date of this transition is not provided in the available source material. ### Nomenclature The entity is known by multiple names. In addition to "Office of Statistics," it is referred to as: - **Oficina de Estadística de El Salvador** - **Oficina Central de Estadística** These alternate names reflect both Spanish-language usage and variations in how the agency was officially designated over its operational lifetime. ## References 1. [Diario Oficial. 1881](http://abaco.uca.edu.sv/acervo/Diario_Oficial/1881/1881-11.pdf) 2. [Diario Oficial. 1898](https://imprentanacional.gob.sv/servicios/archivo-digital-del-diario-oficial/)