Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics
African Economic History Working Paper,
African Economic History Network
No 10/2013: Writing History Backwards or Sideways: Towards a Consensus on African Population, 1850-present
Ewout Frankema () and Morten Jerven ()
Additional contact information
Ewout Frankema: Wageningen University, Postal: Hollandseweg 1, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen
Morten Jerven: Simon Fraser University, Postal: Simon Fraser University, School for International Studies, 7200-515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 5K3
Abstract: This paper aims to make an empirical and theoretical contribution towards the creation of a continent wide data set on African population extending into the pre-1950 era. We investigate the reliability and the validity of the current population databases with the aim of working towards a consensus on the long term series of African total population with a reliable 1950 benchmark. The cases of Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana are explored to show how uneven coverage census taking has been in colonial and post-colonial Africa and to demonstrate the need for an upward adjustment of the conventional 1950 benchmark. In addition, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Patrick Manning’s approach of projecting population growth estimates backwards in time by adopting the available Indian census data as African ‘default growth rates’ and propose an alternative approach by incorporating the demographic experiences of tropical land abundant countries in South East Asia.
Keywords: Africa; history; population
41 pages, October 12, 2013
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