PLSC 3343/3349: Politics and Latin America: Overview

Indicators are specific measurements that offer clues as to whether a phenomenon is present or absent. This list is of commonly used indicators, but there are many more than this that may be useful to you depending on your research question.

Industrialization, Economic Policy and Debt dataset

• Industry (including construction), value added by % GDP or by annual % growth 
• Manufacturing, value added % GDP or by annual % growth 
• Other comparable indicators for value added are agriculture and service

Urbanization, Environment dataset

• Urban population, total, % growth, % of total population

Education, Education dataset

• Literacy rate
• Educational attainment, at least secondary, Master's, or doctorate (in Gender Statistics, Education dataset)

Inequality, Poverty dataset

• GINI index
• Income share held by highest or lowest %

Wealth from extractive industries, Environment dataset

• Total natural resources rents (% of GDP)
• Other more specific indicators for rents are oil, coal, natural gas, mineral, forest (% of GDP)

Foreign aid, Economic Policy and Debt dataset

• Net official aid received
• Net official development assistance and official aid received

Size of public sector

• Public sector employment
• Public spending as percentage of GDP