Quelles statistiques pour analyser les inégalités ?

The question of data collection that allows creating categories known as “ethnic” has been the subject of debates regarding the constitution of the categories as well as the use of data. Beyond these questions, the impact of the type of statistical analysis used needs to be taken into account. This article illustrates, by using the example of Quebec’s First Nations, how the creation of comparable statistics and the use of analyses more sophisticated than the simple measure of the mean allows drawing different conclusions that are likely to guide public policies. They show that it’s first and foremost the collective factors linked to location that explains access to education and that it’s that access that is critical in access to employment.