Growth, Distribution and Poverty in Africa

This book reviews trends in household well-being in Africa during the 1990s. Using the better data sets now available, the main factors behind observed poverty changes are examined in eight countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. A broad view of poverty is taken, which includes income poverty and four basic measures of well-being: private consumption, primary school enrollment, child malnutrition, and child mortality. These data reveal systematic distributional effects linking growth and poverty, which lead to some groups' gaining from episodes of economic growth and others being left behind. Four key conclusions are drawn. First, economic policy reforms (improving macroeconomic balances and liberalizing markets) have been conducive to reductions in poverty. Second, location matters for poverty reduction strategies in Africa. Some regions, by virtue of their sheer remoteness, have been left behind when growth has picked up. The role of infrastructure, especially access to roads, is crucial. Third, education and access to land are key private endowments to help households benefit from emerging economic opportunities and escape poverty. Finally, the evidence underscores the significance of social protection in a poverty reduction strategy. Ill health and the impact of rainfall variations are risk factors that have profound effects on poverty outcomes in Africa. An appendix presents surveys used, welfare measurement computations, and computations of macroeconomic policy scores. (Contains 54 references.) (Author/TD).