Abstract

Central to governance, comparison and evaluation—and evolving at the intersection of economic ideas, interests and institutions—official statistics are far from neutral artifacts in both the global north and south. This article investigates the case of South Africa. Building on primary sources and interviews, I distinguish between three periods in the history of the country’s official economic statistics. This history—and the nation’s statistical self-presentation—have been shaped by the legacy of apartheid, the construction of the new democratic state, the influence of international standards setters, and heated political struggles in a nation divided along racial and class lines. Although the South African case is unique in many ways, it offers valuable insights into the evolution of official statistics outside of the global north more broadly.

摘要

作为治理、比较和评估的核心——在经济理念、利益和制度的交汇处不断发展——官方统计数据在全球北方和南方都远非中立的产物。本文调查了南非的案例。根据一手资料和采访，我区分了该国官方经济统计历史上的三个时期。这段历史——以及这个国家在统计上的自我表现——是由种族隔离的遗产、新民主国家的建设、国际标准制定者的影响以及一个按种族和阶级划分的国家的激烈政治斗争所塑造的。尽管南非的案例在许多方面都是独一无二的，但它为更广泛地了解全球北部以外官方统计数据的演变提供了宝贵的见解。