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Illuminating Africa?

Author

Listed:
  • Tanner Regan

    (George Washington University)

  • Giorgio Chiovelli

    (Universidad de Montevideo)

  • Stelios Michalopoulos

    (Brown University)

  • Elias Papaioannou

    (London Business School)

Abstract

Satellite images of nighttime lights are commonly used to proxy local economic conditions. Despite their popularity, there are concerns about how accurately they capture local development in low-income settings and different scales. We compile a yearly series of comparable nighttime lights for Africa from 1992 to 2020, considering key factors that affect accuracy and comparability over time: sensor quality, top coding, blooming, and, importantly, variations in satellite systems (DMPS and VIIRS) using an ensemble, machine learning, approach. The harmonized luminosity series outperforms the unadjusted series as a stronger predictor of local development, particularly over time and at higher spatial resolutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Tanner Regan & Giorgio Chiovelli & Stelios Michalopoulos & Elias Papaioannou, 2023. "Illuminating Africa?," Working Papers 2023-11, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:gwi:wpaper:2023-11
    as

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    File URL: https://www2.gwu.edu/~iiep/assets/docs/papers/2023WP/ReganIIEP2023-11.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Night Lights; Economic Development; Measurement; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics
    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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