Beyond GDP: the case of real-time barometer of economic activity in South Africa

Helanya Fourie and Johan Fourie

No wp-2026-1, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: This paper makes the case for measuring economic activity in real time in a middle-income setting using indicators alternative to the standard System of National Accounts measure of gross domestic product (GDP). GDP remains indispensable, yet its limits as a welfare proxy are amplified where informality is large and statistical capacity constrained. Using South Africa as a case study, we show how reliance on delayed and incomplete sources weakens the accuracy of official figures, motivating the use of complementary data streams.

Keywords: GDP; National accounts; Data; Big data; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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