Measuring Regional Ethnolinguistic Diversity in Sub-Saharan Africa: Surveys vs. GIS

Boris Gershman and Diego Rivera

The World Bank Economic Review, 2020, vol. 34, issue Supplement_1, S40-S45

Abstract: This paper compares two approaches to measuring subnational ethnolinguistic diversity in Sub-Saharan Africa, one based on censuses and large-scale population surveys and the other relying on the use of geographic information systems (GIS). The two approaches yield sets of regional fractionalization indices that show a moderately positive correlation, with a stronger association across rural areas. These differences matter for empirical analysis: in a common sample of regions, survey-based indices of deep-rooted diversity show a more strongly negative association with a range of development indicators relative to their highest-quality GIS-based counterparts.

Keywords: African development; ethnolinguistic diversity; GIS; household surveys; public goods provision; subnational analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Working Paper: Measuring Regional Ethnolinguistic Diversity in Sub-Saharan Africa: Surveys vs. GIS (2016)
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