Poor numbers : how we are misled by African development statistics and what to do about it / Morten Jerven.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jerven, Morten, 1978-

Series:

Cornell Studies in Political Economy Series

Cornell studies in political economy

Cornell Studies in Political Economy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Economic development--Africa, Sub-Saharan--Statistics.

Economic development.

National income--Africa, Southern--Accounting.

National income.

Economic indicators--Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Economic indicators.

Africa, Sub-Saharan--Economic conditions--Statistics.

Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Africa, Sub-Saharan--Statistical services.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (208 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

One of the most urgent challenges in African economic development is to devise a strategy for improving statistical capacity. Reliable statistics, including estimates of economic growth rates and per-capita income, are basic to the operation of governments in developing countries and vital to nongovernmental organizations and other entities that provide financial aid to them. Rich countries and international financial institutions such as the World Bank allocate their development resources on the basis of such data. The paucity of accurate statistics is not merely a technical problem; it has a massive impact on the welfare of citizens in developing countries.Where do these statistics originate? How accurate are they? Poor Numbers is the first analysis of the production and use of African economic development statistics. Morten Jerven's research shows how the statistical capacities of sub-Saharan African economies have fallen into disarray. The numbers substantially misstate the actual state of affairs. As a result, scarce resources are misapplied. Development policy does not deliver the benefits expected. Policymakers' attempts to improve the lot of the citizenry are frustrated. Donors have no accurate sense of the impact of the aid they supply. Jerven's findings from sub-Saharan Africa have far-reaching implications for aid and development policy. As Jerven notes, the current catchphrase in the development community is "evidence-based policy," and scholars are applying increasingly sophisticated econometric methods-but no statistical techniques can substitute for partial and unreliable data.

Contents:

What do we know about income and growth in Africa?

Measuring African wealth and progress

Facts, assumptions and controversy : lessons from the datasets

Data for development : a guide to African development statistics

Conclusion : development by numbers.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9780801467608

0801467608

9781322503622

1322503621

9780801467615

0801467616

OCLC:

827455689