TY  - JOUR
AU  - Chen,Xi
AU  - Nordhaus,William D.
TI  - The Value of Luminosity Data as a Proxy for Economic Statistics
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 16317
PY  - 2010
Y2  - August 2010
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w16317
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w16317.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Xi Chen
28 Hillhouse Ave
New Haven CT 06511
E-Mail: xc49@cornell.edu

William D. Nordhaus
Yale University, Department of Economics
28 Hillhouse Avenue
Box 208264
New Haven, CT  06520-8264
Tel: 203/432-3598
Fax: 203/432-5779
E-Mail: william.nordhaus@yale.edu
AB  - One of the pervasive issues in social and environmental research has been to improve the quality of socioeconomic data in developing countries. Because of the shortcoming of standard data sources, the present study examines luminosity (measures of nighttime lights) as a proxy for standard measures of output. The paper compares output and luminosity at the country levels and at the 1° x 1° grid-cell levels for the period 1992-2008. The results are that luminosity has very little value added for countries with high-quality statistical systems. However, it may be useful for countries with the lowest statistical grades, particularly for war-torn countries with no recent population or economic censuses. The results also indicate that luminosity has more value added for economic density estimates than for time-series growth rates.
ER  -