Global Policymakers Warn of ‘Data Darkness’ as U.S. Shutdown Halts Key Economic Reports

A prolonged U.S. government shutdown is creating global uncertainty by cutting off access to critical economic data, which central banks and policymakers rely on to assess global markets.

Japan, the U.K., and other major economies are voicing alarm that the absence of U.S. figures—such as employment and trade data—could cloud decisions on interest rates, inflation, and currency policy.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda called the situation “a serious problem,” while one Japanese official said it was “a joke” for the U.S. Federal Reserve to claim its policy is “data-dependent” without data.

The IMF and World Bank warned that political interference in U.S. institutions could damage global trust in official statistics. They cautioned that such “data darkness” raises the risk of policy mistakes and undermines confidence in technocratic governance.

Although the Federal Reserve continues independent data collection, analysts say private sources can’t fully replace the accuracy of official figures. Economists fear that prolonged opacity could disrupt financial markets, trade planning, and currency stability worldwide.

The shutdown, coupled with political pressure on the Fed and other agencies, reflects deeper concerns about U.S. governance reliability—casting a long shadow over the world’s largest economy and its global partners.