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Development Research at High Geographic Resolution : An Analysis of Night Lights, Firms, and Poverty in India Using the SHRUG Open Data Platform

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  • Asher,Sam
  • Lunt,Tobias
  • Matsuura,Ryu
  • Novosad,Paul Michael

Abstract

The SHRUG is an open data platform describing multidimensional socioeconomic development across 600,000 villages and towns in India. This paper presents three illustrative analyses only possible with high-resolution data. First, it confirms that nighttime lights are highly significant proxies for population, employment, per-capita consumption, and electrification at very local levels. However, elasticities between night lights and these variables are far lower in time series than in cross section, and vary widely across context and level of aggregation. Next, this study shows that the distribution of manufacturing employment across villages follows a power law: the majority of rural Indians have considerably less access to manufacturing employment than is suggested by aggregate data. Third, a poverty mapping exercise explores local heterogeneity in living standards and estimates the potential targeting improvement from allocating programs at the village- rather than at the district-level. The SHRUG can serve as a model for open high-resolution data in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Asher,Sam & Lunt,Tobias & Matsuura,Ryu & Novosad,Paul Michael, 2021. "Development Research at High Geographic Resolution : An Analysis of Night Lights, Firms, and Poverty in India Using the SHRUG Open Data Platform," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9540, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9540
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    1. Chor, Davin & Li, Bingjing, 2024. "Illuminating the effects of the US-China tariff war on China’s economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    2. Iversen, Vegard & Kundu, Anustup & Lahoti, Rahul & Sen, Kunal, 2023. "Barriers or Catalysts? Traditional Institutions and Social Mobility in Rural India," IZA Discussion Papers 16601, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Kammerlander, Andreas & Schulze, Günther G., 2023. "Local economic growth and infant mortality," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Beyer, Robert C.M. & Jain, Tarun & Sinha, Sonalika, 2023. "Lights out? COVID-19 containment policies and economic activity," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    5. Sandhya Garg & Samarth Gupta & Sushanta Mallick, 2023. "Does Social Identity Constrain Rural Entrepreneurship? The Role of Financial Inclusion," IEG Working Papers 460, Institute of Economic Growth.
    6. Amarasinghe, Ashani & Hodler, Roland & Raschky, Paul A. & Zenou, Yves, 2024. "Key players in economic development," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 40-56.
    7. Diep Hoang Phan, 2023. "Lights and GDP relationship: What does the computer tell us?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(3), pages 1215-1252, September.
    8. Shreya Biswas & Upasak Das & Sandhya Garg, 2024. "Growing with greener pastures: Examining the role of graduate politicians on forest cover in India," IEG Working Papers 463, Institute of Economic Growth.
    9. Teevrat Garg & Maulik Jagnani & Hemant K. Pullabhotla, 2024. "Rural Roads, Farm Labor Exits, and Crop Fires," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 420-450, August.
    10. Tanner Regan & Giorgio Chiovelli & Stelios Michalopoulos & Elias Papaioannou, 2023. "Illuminating Africa?," Working Papers 2023-11, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.
    11. Makkar, Karan, 2023. "Defector Politicians and Economic Growth: Evidence from India," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    12. Merfeld, Joshua D., 2023. "Air Pollution and Agricultural Productivity in a Developing Country," IZA Discussion Papers 16316, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. GIBSON, John & ZHANG, Xiaoxuan & PARK, Albert & YI, Jiang & XI, Li, 2024. "Remotely measuring rural economic activity and poverty : Do we just need better sensors?," CEI Working Paper Series 2023-08, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    14. Dhamija, Gaurav & Roychowdhury, Punarjit & Shankar, Binay, 2023. "Urbanization and Women Empowerment: Evidence from India," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1323, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    15. Amarasinghe, Ashani & Hodler, Roland & Raschky, Paul A. & Zenou, Yves, 2024. "Key players in economic development," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 40-56.
    16. Singh, Tejendra Pratap, 2024. "Pharmacy Access and Health-seeking Behavior: Evidence from a Nationwide Policy," OSF Preprints pjvgd, Center for Open Science.
    17. Sudatta Ray & Hemant K. Pullabhotla, 2023. "The changing impact of rural electrification on Indian agriculture," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    18. Jain, Chandan & Kashyap, Shagun & Lahoti, Rahul & Sahoo, Soham, 2023. "The impact of educated leaders on economic development: Evidence from India," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 1068-1093.
    19. Ratnoo, Vigyan D., 2024. "Persistent effects of colonial land tenure institutions: Village-level evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    20. Somdeep Chatterjee & Pushkar Maitra & Manhar Manchanda, 2024. "The Relevant Third: Threat of Coalition and Economic Development," Monash Economics Working Papers 2024-13, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    21. Kukreja, Rolly, 2024. "Does representation affect trust in political institutions?: Evidence from redistricting in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    22. Iyer, Lakshmi & Weir, Coleson, 2024. "The Colonial Legacy in India: How Persistent Are the Effects of Historical Institutions?," IZA Discussion Papers 17051, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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