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Communications
Communications Benchmarks 2024 report – emerging trends
Benchmarks highlight increased use of traditional media, comms staff’s shrunken roles in policy-making and exploration into AI
The Communication Benchmarks 2024 report reveals some emerging trends as well as some regularities, as four years of benchmarking data are now available for the comms function. One of the key findings from this year’s benchmarks is that most central banks’ communications departments currently do not use AI to assist their work. The benchmarks also point to a trend towards later involvement in policy-making, and traditional media still being the dominant mode of communication.
Charts
Strategic comms priorities
Worldwide, the top priority for comms teams is improving the footprint of social media channels. However, this result is driven more by emerging market central banks. At advanced economy central banks, improving the website is the top priority.
A few other priorities stand out. AE central banks are more likely to put high emphasis on financial education. EME central banks are more focused on internal communications.
For the full breakdown, use the benchmarking service’s interactive charts to explore the data.
Model banks analysis – Communications 2024
Additional breakdowns of the data highlight differences in emerging market and advanced economies
Communications data
View the full breakdown of responses to the Communications Benchmarks.
Central banks’ social media share ticks up
Social-traditional media split for communications roughly the same across different regions
Local languages widely used in central bank communications
African central banks use more English in communications than counterparts in other regions
Journalists and politicians are main critics of central banks
Benchmark respondents comment on their efforts to engage constructively with stakeholders
Communications Benchmarks 2025 Charts
Take a deep dive into the Communications Benchmarks charts, which have just been released for 2025.
Comms teams see dis/misinformation on social media as key risk
Criticism from government ranks as smallest risk
Website upgrades are comms teams’ top priorities for next year
Commitments differ somewhat by departmental structure
Larger comms teams involved earlier in policy decisions
Most departments become involved in duty after decisions are taken
Hybrid teams widely employ social media for two-way communications
Most respondents use strategies to address crises and disinformation
Communications teams use AI mainly for drafting
But use cases vary according to team structures
LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube are top comms platforms
Over a third of communication teams adopted new platforms in the past year
Central banks universally communicate internally via email
Additional tools used vary somewhat by system efficiency and structure
Social media and press releases are primary external comms channels
Impact assessment tools vary across teams by structural approach