Acquisition Highlight: Poor Numbers by Morten Jerven

In his recent book entitled Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about it, Morten Jerven analyses the production and use of African economic statistics. Where do these statistics originate from and how accurate are they? Jerven argues that reliable statistics, including estimates of economic growth and per-capita income, are central to the operation of governments in developing countries and vital for the NGOs that provide financial aid to them. On the basis of research in Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Botswana, he examines what we know about income and growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, measurements of African wealth and progress, facts and assumptions, lessons from the datasets, and possible future improvements.

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