Census Digitalization in the Global South: The Case of Colombia and Ecuador

Byron Villacis, University of Oregon

Ecuador and Colombia have followed distinct paths in adopting census data processing technologies. While most Global North countries established statistical offices in the 19th century, Ecuador did so in 1944 and Colombia in 1953. Colombia conducted its first census in 1825, whereas Ecuador's first was in 1950. Both countries introduced Hollerith machines in the 1950s, but their technological trajectories diverged afterward. Colombia transitioned to electromechanical computers in the 1960s, digital computers in 1973, scanners in the 1990s, and mobile data capture technologies in 2018. In Ecuador, electromechanical computers replaced Hollerith machines only in 1982, digital computers were adopted in 1990, and optical scanning technologies were introduced in 2000, with mobile data capture devices becoming central in 2022. Despite this seemingly linear progression, the historical complexity of these technological shifts remains underexplored. There is little documentation on the role of external actors, such as the United States, in promoting Hollerith machines or on the intermediaries who facilitated scanner acquisitions since the 1990s. Moreover, no studies have examined how census administrations in Ecuador (INEC) and Colombia (DANE) perceived these technological changes or the managerial assumptions behind their adoption. This research addresses these gaps by investigating two key questions: (1) Who were the external and internal actors behind the introduction of tabulation and data processing technologies in Colombia and Ecuador? and (2) How did these technologies impact managerial practices and governance styles? The study relies on historical data, archival records (1940–2020), and 20 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. By analyzing technological transfers and their local adoption, the paper contributes to understanding the divergence in census data processing technologies within the Global South and their broader organizational implications.

See paper

 Presented in Session 185. Building Data Infrastructure