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Study Guide: Economic Complexity Index (ECI) Fundamentals

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Economic Complexity Index (ECI) Fundamentals Study Guide

Foundations of Economic Complexity

The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) is primarily designed to measure a country's current Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Answer: False

Explanation: The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) is fundamentally a measure of the productive capabilities and accumulated knowledge embedded within economic systems, rather than a direct measure of current Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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The ECI framework suggests that economic development is driven by the diversification and sophistication of a country's export basket.

Answer: True

Explanation: The ECI framework posits that economic development is fundamentally linked to the diversity and sophistication of a country's export basket, reflecting embedded productive knowledge.

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The ECI metric implies that countries should focus on exporting basic commodities to achieve development.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI metric implies that countries achieve development by moving beyond basic commodities to export increasingly complex and sophisticated products, reflecting accumulated knowledge.

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The ECI framework posits that economic development is fundamentally linked to the accumulation and application of productive knowledge.

Answer: True

Explanation: The ECI framework fundamentally links economic development to the accumulation and application of productive knowledge, which is reflected in the diversity and sophistication of a nation's economic activities.

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What is the primary purpose of the Economic Complexity Index (ECI)?

Answer: To assess the productive capabilities and accumulated knowledge of economic systems.

Explanation: The primary purpose of the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) is to assess the productive capabilities and the embedded knowledge within economic systems, such as countries or regions.

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What does the ECI metric imply is required for economic development?

Answer: Accumulating and utilizing productive knowledge in increasingly complex industries.

Explanation: The ECI metric implies that economic development is achieved through the accumulation and application of productive knowledge, leading to engagement in increasingly complex industries.

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What is the core idea underlying the Economic Complexity Index?

Answer: Economic complexity reflects the diversity and sophistication of a country's exports, indicating embedded knowledge.

Explanation: The core idea of the Economic Complexity Index is that a nation's economic complexity, reflected in the diversity and sophistication of its exports, serves as a proxy for the embedded productive knowledge within its economy.

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Methodology and Data

According to the ECI framework, the knowledge of an economic activity is defined by the average knowledge of the places where it is performed.

Answer: True

Explanation: Within the ECI framework, the knowledge associated with an economic activity is defined as the average knowledge of the locations where that activity is conducted. This reflects the embedded knowledge within the economic ecosystem.

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Data related to the Economic Complexity Index can be found on the World Bank's website.

Answer: False

Explanation: While the World Bank provides extensive economic data, comprehensive ECI data and visualizations are primarily accessible through The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).

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Mathematically, the ECI is derived from the eigenvalue of a matrix representing the connections between products exported by countries.

Answer: False

Explanation: Mathematically, the ECI is derived from the eigenvalue of a matrix that connects countries to the products they export, not solely between products themselves.

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The ECI measures economic complexity by considering only the number of products a country exports.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI measures economic complexity by considering not only the diversity of products a country exports but also the ubiquity of those products (how many other countries export them), reflecting the sophistication and embedded knowledge.

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The ECI has only ever been developed using international trade data.

Answer: False

Explanation: While international trade data is foundational, the ECI framework has been expanded to incorporate other data sources, such as patents and scientific publications, for a more comprehensive analysis.

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The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) uses a 4-digit product depth for its rankings.

Answer: False

Explanation: The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) utilizes a 6-digit product depth for its rankings, providing a more granular analysis.

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The ECI defines the knowledge of a location as the diversity of its population's skills.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI defines the knowledge of a location as the average knowledge of the economic activities performed there, not directly the diversity of the population's skills.

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The ECI measures complexity based on the ubiquity of products and the diversity of countries exporting them.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI measures complexity by analyzing the structure of the relationship between countries and the products they export, considering factors like product diversity and ubiquity, rather than simply the diversity of countries exporting them.

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How does the ECI define the 'knowledge' associated with an economic activity?

Answer: As the average knowledge of the places where that specific economic activity is conducted.

Explanation: The ECI defines the knowledge associated with an economic activity as the average knowledge of the places where that activity is performed, reflecting the embedded knowledge within the economic ecosystem.

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Which institution provides accessible data for the Economic Complexity Index?

Answer: The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC)

Explanation: Accessible data and visualizations for the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) are provided by The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).

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The ECI measures economic complexity using which two main factors?

Answer: Product diversity and product ubiquity

Explanation: The ECI measures economic complexity by analyzing two primary factors: the diversity of products a country exports and the ubiquity of those products across exporting nations.

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How does the ECI define the knowledge of a specific economic activity?

Answer: The average knowledge of the places where the activity is performed.

Explanation: The ECI defines the knowledge of a specific economic activity as the average knowledge of the places where that activity is performed.

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The ECI is mathematically defined as an eigenvalue of which type of matrix?

Answer: A matrix connecting countries to the products they export.

Explanation: Mathematically, the ECI is derived as an eigenvalue of a matrix that represents the connections between countries and the products they export.

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Which specific data depth is used for the rankings in The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC)?

Answer: 6-digit

Explanation: The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) utilizes a 6-digit product depth for its rankings.

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Developers and Institutions

Ricardo Hausmann and Cesar Hidalgo are credited with developing the ECI, affiliated with Harvard and MIT respectively.

Answer: True

Explanation: This statement is true. Ricardo Hausmann, associated with Harvard University, and Cesar Hidalgo, affiliated with MIT, are credited with the development of the Economic Complexity Index (ECI).

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Who developed the Economic Complexity Index (ECI)?

Answer: Cesar A. Hidalgo and Ricardo Hausmann

Explanation: The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) was developed by Cesar A. Hidalgo and Ricardo Hausmann.

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ECI's Predictive Power and Implications

The ECI suggests that economic development is hindered by higher economic complexity.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI posits that higher economic complexity, particularly when exceeding expectations based on a country's income level, is a driver of economic development, not a hindrance.

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Hidalgo and Hausmann proposed the ECI solely as a descriptive measure of current economic conditions.

Answer: False

Explanation: Hidalgo and Hausmann proposed the ECI not only as a descriptive tool but also as a predictive measure for economic growth and income inequality.

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The ECI has been shown to be a less accurate predictor of GDP per capita growth compared to traditional measures like human capital.

Answer: False

Explanation: Research suggests that the ECI is a more accurate predictor of GDP per capita growth than traditional measures such as human capital, governance, and competitiveness.

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The ECI shows a positive correlation with income inequality.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI demonstrates a strong negative correlation with income inequality, indicating that more complex economies tend to be more inclusive.

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The ECI's explanation for income inequality variations is considered less effective than the Kuznets Curve theory.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI provides a statistically stronger explanation for cross-national variations in income inequality compared to the traditional Kuznets Curve theory.

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According to the ECI metric, economic development requires the accumulation of productive knowledge in simpler industries.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI metric suggests that economic development is driven by the accumulation and application of productive knowledge in increasingly complex industries, not simpler ones.

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The ECI suggests that economies with less knowledge-intensive production structures tend to be more inclusive.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI suggests the opposite: economies with *more* knowledge-intensive production structures tend to be more inclusive and exhibit lower income inequality.

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The ECI is considered a less effective predictor of GDP growth than traditional measures like governance.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI has been shown to be a *more* effective predictor of GDP growth than traditional measures such as governance, competitiveness, and human capital.

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A country's economic development is driven when its ECI is lower than expected based on its income level.

Answer: False

Explanation: Economic development, according to the ECI framework, is driven when a country's ECI is *higher* than expected based on its income level, indicating it possesses more productive knowledge than its income suggests.

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The ECI provides a weaker explanation for income inequality compared to the Kuznets Curve.

Answer: False

Explanation: The ECI provides a statistically stronger explanation for income inequality variations than the Kuznets Curve.

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What is the relationship between economic complexity (ECI) and economic development suggested by the index?

Answer: Higher complexity, relative to income level, drives economic development.

Explanation: The ECI suggests that economic development is driven when a country's economic complexity is higher than what would be predicted based on its current income level, indicating an advantage in productive knowledge.

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How does the ECI's predictive power for GDP per capita growth compare to traditional metrics?

Answer: It is a more accurate predictor than traditional measures like governance, competitiveness, and human capital.

Explanation: The ECI demonstrates greater accuracy in predicting GDP per capita growth compared to traditional metrics such as governance, competitiveness indices, and measures of human capital.

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What correlation does the ECI demonstrate with income inequality?

Answer: A strong negative correlation, meaning higher complexity is associated with lower inequality.

Explanation: The ECI demonstrates a strong negative correlation with income inequality, suggesting that economies with greater complexity and embedded knowledge tend to exhibit more inclusive income distribution.

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What does the ECI suggest about the link between knowledge-intensive production and income distribution?

Answer: Knowledge-intensive economies tend to be more inclusive, with lower income inequality.

Explanation: The ECI suggests that economies characterized by knowledge-intensive production structures tend to be more inclusive, correlating with lower levels of income inequality.

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What does the ECI suggest about the relationship between a country's complexity and its income level regarding development?

Answer: Development occurs when complexity is higher than expected for the income level.

Explanation: The ECI suggests that economic development is fostered when a country's complexity exceeds what is typically associated with its current income level, indicating a surplus of productive knowledge.

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Compared to the Kuznets Curve, the ECI offers a ______ explanation for income inequality variations.

Answer: Statistically stronger

Explanation: The ECI offers a statistically stronger explanation for variations in income inequality compared to the traditional Kuznets Curve theory.

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