Events

ECA Talk: How Much Should We Trust the Dictator’s GDP Growth Estimates?

February 15, 2023

Online

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Presentation by Luis Martinez, Assistant Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago

Presentation by Somik Lall, Lead Economist in the World Bank Office of the Chief Economist for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions

OVERVIEW
SPEAKERS

Should we trust GDP growth estimates provided by autocratic regimes? The focus of this discussion, part of the ECA Talks series, is on evidence that data from nighttime lights (NTL) recorded by satellites from outer space suggests autocracies are significantly overestimating GDP growth.

Luis Martinez
Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
Luis Martinez is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. His main research interest is in the analysis of political institutions in developing countries, with a regional focus on Latin America. Professor Martinez's work has been published in leading journals in economics and political science. He holds a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics.
Somik Lall
Lead Economist in the World Bank Office of the Chief Economist for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions
Somik Lall is a Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions at the World Bank and is also Head of its Climate Economics team. Previously, he was the Bank’s Global Lead for territorial and spatial development and Lead Urban Economist in the Global Practice for Urban, Disaster Risk, Resilience, and Land. Dr. Lall joined the World Bank in 1999 as an Economist in the Development Economics Vice Presidency. He has advised senior policymakers in national governments and city mayors on key policy issues in more than 25 countries, including Brazil, China, India, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.