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Comparability of GDP estimates in Sub-Saharan Africa : The effect of Revisions in Sources and Methods Since Structural Adjustment

Jerven, Morten LU (2013) In Review of Income and Wealth 59(S1). p.16-36
Abstract
The unreliability of African income estimates was highlighted when Ghana announced that GDP estimates were revised upwards by 60.3 percent in November 2010. Similar revisions are to be expected in other countries. Many statistical offices are currently using outdated base years. It is argued that with the current uneven application of methods and poor availability of data, any ranking of countries according to GDP levels is misleading. The paper emphasizes the challenges for “data users” in light of these revisions. GDP data are disseminated through international organizations, but without any detailed data descriptions. It is argued that many statistical offices in Sub-Saharan Africa struggled to recover from the structural adjustment... (More)
The unreliability of African income estimates was highlighted when Ghana announced that GDP estimates were revised upwards by 60.3 percent in November 2010. Similar revisions are to be expected in other countries. Many statistical offices are currently using outdated base years. It is argued that with the current uneven application of methods and poor availability of data, any ranking of countries according to GDP levels is misleading. The paper emphasizes the challenges for “data users” in light of these revisions. GDP data are disseminated through international organizations, but without any detailed data descriptions. It is argued that many statistical offices in Sub-Saharan Africa struggled to recover from the structural adjustment period, and the offices have not had the capacity to handle other challenges such as providing data to monitor the Millennium Development Goals. Currently, neither data users nor data producers are getting the assistance they need. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
national income accounting, Sub-Saharan Africa
in
Review of Income and Wealth
volume
59
issue
S1
pages
21 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:84872774966
ISSN
1475-4991
DOI
10.1111/roiw.12006
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Part of a Special Issue: Measuring Income, Wealth, Inequality, and Poverty in Sub Saharan Africa: Challenges, Issues, and Findings
id
df4da658-bda8-40b6-9adc-6aa976906b83
date added to LUP
2017-06-19 05:34:36
date last changed
2022-02-22 03:31:09
@article{df4da658-bda8-40b6-9adc-6aa976906b83,
  abstract     = {{The unreliability of African income estimates was highlighted when Ghana announced that GDP estimates were revised upwards by 60.3 percent in November 2010. Similar revisions are to be expected in other countries. Many statistical offices are currently using outdated base years. It is argued that with the current uneven application of methods and poor availability of data, any ranking of countries according to GDP levels is misleading. The paper emphasizes the challenges for “data users” in light of these revisions. GDP data are disseminated through international organizations, but without any detailed data descriptions. It is argued that many statistical offices in Sub-Saharan Africa struggled to recover from the structural adjustment period, and the offices have not had the capacity to handle other challenges such as providing data to monitor the Millennium Development Goals. Currently, neither data users nor data producers are getting the assistance they need.}},
  author       = {{Jerven, Morten}},
  issn         = {{1475-4991}},
  keywords     = {{national income accounting; Sub-Saharan Africa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{S1}},
  pages        = {{16--36}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Review of Income and Wealth}},
  title        = {{Comparability of GDP estimates in Sub-Saharan Africa : The effect of Revisions in Sources and Methods Since Structural Adjustment}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/roiw.12006}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/roiw.12006}},
  volume       = {{59}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}