Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa

After many years of disappointing performance, Sub-Saharan African has shown impressive growth performance since the start of the millennium. However, the impact of this on poverty reduction is still not well understood and this led the African Economics Research Consortium in Nairobi to undertake a major collaborative research project on the linkages between growth and poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa. This volume induces two review chapters on the impact of growth on poverty reduction, and on the impact of widespread poverty on economic growth, and argues that both relationships are important for understanding how growth and poverty reduction interact. The volume focuses, in detail, on the role of agriculture, the labor market, the informal sector, the industrial sector, the global context, and macroeconomic issues. All chapters comprise an extensive review of the existing literature, and highlight new and important directions. As more information on the evolution of poverty and living conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa emerge, this volume is important in helping to interpret and explain that evidence.

Based on the results of a major collaborative research project led by the African Economics Research Consortium.