Satellite Nighttime Lights as a Measurement of Economic Growth in Mexico’s Municipalities

Andrés Jerson Millán López; Daniel González Olivares

doi:10.29105/ensayos43.1-1

Authors

Andres Jerson Universidad de Guadalajara. Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económico Administrativas CUCEA. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4112-8302
Daniel González Olivares Universidad de Guadalajara. Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económico Administrativas CUCEA. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9052-2763

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29105/ensayos43.1-1

Keywords:

satellite nighttime lights images, economic dynamism, municipalities

Abstract

The lack of information regarding economic performance and the temporal limitations of national accounts and economic censuses at a local level in Mexico motivates the exploration of alternative indicators. Based on Henderson (2012), in this document, economic dynamism is analyzed thought the use of satellite nighttime lights images. This construction complements the omissions of information and measures economic dynamism at sub-national level. Results highlight that changes in luminosity observed from outer space are positively related to economic dynamism, so the luminosity variable can be used as a proxy to analyze changes in Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

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Author Biographies

Andres Jerson, Universidad de Guadalajara. Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económico Administrativas CUCEA.

Ph.D Universidad de Guadalajara | jerson.millan@cucea.udg.mx

Andrés Jerson Millán López (AJ, Millán) Professor at Department of Quantitative Methods of the University of Guadalajara. Doctor in Economic Studies and Head of the Data Analysis and Advisory Services Unit in the Postgraduate Coordination at the same institution. His line of research focuses on the generation of geoindicators through satellite images for the instrumentation of economic, environmental, political and social variables.

Daniel González Olivares, Universidad de Guadalajara. Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económico Administrativas CUCEA.

Ph.D. ESSEX University | daniel.gonzalez.o@cucea.udg.mx

Daniel González Olivares (DG, Olivares), of Mexican nationality, originally from Guadalajara, residing at Calle Loma Fría Sur number 7944 Loma Dorada, in Tonalá Jalisco, C.P. 45402, is an Economist by profession, has a degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Economics from the University of ESSEX in England. Since 2015 Daniel has been a research professor at the University of Guadalajara. In addition to being a member of the National System of Researchers, Daniel has publications both in international indexed revisits and in book chapters. His lines of research focus on economy politics and financial analysis, in addition, due to his studies in Big Data and Networks, he has works focused on the analysis of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and their political impact.

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