Census digitalization in the Global South: The case of Colombia and Ecuador

• In Event: 50460 - Section on Comparative-Historical Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Technologies of Governance

Abstract

Ecuador and Colombia adopted statistical offices later than most Global North countries, with Ecuador establishing one in 1944 and Colombia in 1953. Census production in both nations followed different trajectories: Colombia's first census was in 1825, while Ecuador's was in 1950. Data processing technologies evolved over time, with Hollerith machines introduced in the 1950s, followed by electromechanical computers in Colombia in the 1960s and Ecuador in 1982. Digital computers were adopted in the 1970s (Colombia) and 1990 (Ecuador), with scanners introduced in the 1990s and mobile data capture becoming prominent by 2018 (Colombia) and 2022 (Ecuador).

Despite appearing as a linear technological progression, the adoption of these tools is insufficiently documented. Key gaps include the role of the U.S. in promoting Hollerith machines, the brokers involved in acquiring scanners, and how statistical offices (DANE in Colombia and INEC in Ecuador) perceived and managed these technological transitions.

This study addresses these gaps by exploring two main questions: (1) Who were the external and internal actors that facilitated technological changes in census data processing? (2) How did these adoptions influence managerial and governance practices? Using historical data, archival research (1940–2020), and 20 interviews with key stakeholders, the research provides insight into technological transfers, organizational impacts, and the broader implications of census technology adoption in the Global South.

Author

• Byron Villacis, University of Oregon