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Night lights and regional GDP

Author

Listed:
  • Bickenbach, Frank
  • Bode, Eckhardt
  • Lange, Mareike
  • Nunnenkamp, Peter

Abstract

Night lights could be a valuable proxy of economic activity at the subnational level when GDP data are lacking or of poor quality. Supplementing Henderson et al.'s (2012) analysis at the national level, we assess the stability of the elasticity of GDP with regard to night lights across regions in Brazil, India, the United States, and Western Europe. The relationship between regional GDP and night lights proves to be unstable, not only where regional GDP data may be unreliable but also where such data are of high quality. This suggests that night lights tend to be a poor proxy of regional economic activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Bickenbach, Frank & Bode, Eckhardt & Lange, Mareike & Nunnenkamp, Peter, 2013. "Night lights and regional GDP," Kiel Working Papers 1888, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:1888
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    night lights; regional GDP data; stability of lights elasticities; emerging markets; developed economies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts

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