Are nightlight data a relevant proxy for economic activity in small island developing states ?
通过结合夜间灯光与GDP数据，发现两者在小岛屿发展中国家存在强正相关，弹性为0.20，且2013年后弹性下降，表明夜间灯光可作为经济活动的有效代理，但需注意数据采集变化的影响。
By combining nightlight data with GDP data for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), we investigate the nature of their empirical relationship. We find a strong positive correlation between the two variables. Econometric estimates suggest that the elasticity of GDP with respect to nightlights is 0.20 over the entire sample period, with evidence pointing to a decline in the magnitude of this elasticity since 2013, when the collection of nightlights has been based on VIIRS sensors. Overall, our study is the first to demonstrate that nightlight data constitutes a relevant proxy for economic activity in SIDS, a group of territories characterized by a scarcity of economic data. It also suggests that users should consider the change in nightlight data collection, as it may affect the magnitude of the statistical association, particularly in small areas.