Obsessive behavior as documentary tool

“Non-observed” does not mean “non-measured”

Trivial mesure system.

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« At the present time, only a few OECD countries include explicit estimates of illegal activities in their GDP figures although most of them have made experimental estimates for one or two years. Several transition countries, on the other hand, now make regular estimates of illegal activities. In general, the inclusion of illegal activities in GDP raises levels by less than 1%. The Statistical Office of the European Communities insists on a strict application of the EU version of the 1993 SNA, and this will eventually mean the inclusion by all Member States of illegal activities in their GDP. For prostitution, the standard approach is to estimate the total number of sex workers classified by gender and type of service provided. An estimate of the number of clients to each worker then provides the volume of output and multiplication by the average prices of each service gives an estimate of gross output. Intermediate consumption – rent, exotic clothing, electricity, etc. – is usually assumed to be some low, fixed percentage of gross output.» Source : Inventory of National Practices in Estimating Hidden and Informal Activities for National Accounts, United Nations, Geneva, 2002.

Derek Blades & David Roberts : Measuring the non-observed economy, Measuring illegal activities, Statistics Brief, OECD, January 2003.