scholarly journals The African tragedy: the effect of democracy on economic growth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Khodaverdian
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Child Mortality ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Demographic Changes ◽  
Reduce Child Mortality ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Malthusian Trap

AbstractWe estimate the effect of democracy on economic growth for the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in comparison with other countries. We find that in contrast to other countries, democracy in Africa benefits neither GDP per capita nor total GDP. We explain the former by changes in the size of the population and the latter by changes in the age structure of the population. Both demographic changes relate to the finding that unlike in other countries, democracy does not reduce child mortality in Africa. The evidence suggests that without improvements in health, democracy puts Africa on a path toward a Malthusian trap.

scholarly journals The problem of economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senanu Kwasi Klutse
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Savings Rate ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Determinants Of Economic Growth

A wide range of policy-related variables have a persistent influence on economic growth. This has consistently maintained the interest of economists on the determinants of economic growth over the years. There is consensus however that for countries to grow sustainably, a lot of stall must be placed on higher savings rate as this makes it easy for such countries to grow faster because they endogenously allocate more resources to inventive activities. Due to data difficulties in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) it is nearly impossible for one to consider important variables such as accumulation of knowledge and human capital when analysing growth sustainability. Studying four lower middle-income countries in SSA – Ghana, Republic of Congo, Kenya and Lesotho – this study tests the hypothesis of sustainable growth by using a Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) model to examine the relationship between savings, investment, budget deficit and the growth variable. The results showed that savings had a significant but negative relationship with the GDP per capita (PPP). A Granger Causality test conducted showed that savings does not granger cause GDP per capita (PPP), the HDI index, deficit and investment. This leads to the conclusion that growth in these countries are not sustainable. The study recommends that policy makers focus on the savings variable if these countries will want to achieve sustainable growth.

scholarly journals Does economic growth reduce childhood stunting? A multicountry analysis of 89 Demographic and Health Surveys in sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e002042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanni Yaya ◽  
Olalekan A Uthman ◽  
Michael Kunnuji ◽  
Kannan Navaneetham ◽  
Joshua O Akinyemi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Childhood Stunting

BackgroundThere is mixed evidence and lack of consensus on the impact of economic development on stunting, and likewise there is a dearth of empirical studies on this relationship in the case of sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, this paper examines whether economic growth is associated with childhood stunting in low-income and middle-income sub-Saharan African countries.MethodsWe analysed data from 89 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1987 and 2016 available as of October 2018 using multivariable multilevel logistic regression models to show the association between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and stunting. We adjusted the models for child’s age, survey year, child’s sex, birth order and country random effect, and presented adjusted and unadjusted ORs.ResultsWe included data from 490 526 children. We found that the prevalence of stunting decreased with increasing GDP per capita (correlation coefficient=−0.606, p<0.0001). In the unadjusted model for full sample, for every US$1000 increase in GDP per capita, the odds of stunting decreased by 23% (OR=0.77, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.78). The magnitude of the association between GDP per capita and stunting was stronger among children in the richest quintile. After adjustment was made, the association was not significant among children from the poorest quintile. However, the magnitude of the association was more pronounced among children from low-income countries, such that, in the model adjusted for child’s age, survey year, child’s sex, birth order and country random effect, the association between GDP per capita and stunting remained statistically significant; for every US$1000 increase in GDP per capita, the odds of stunting decreased by 12% (OR=0.88, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.90).ConclusionThere was no significant association between economic growth and child nutritional status. The prevalence of stunting decreased with increasing GDP per capita. This was more pronounced among children from the richest quintile. The magnitude of the association was higher among children from low-income countries, suggesting that households in the poorest quintile were typically the least likely to benefit from economic gains. The findings could serve as a building block needed to modify current policy as per child nutrition-related programmes in Africa.

scholarly journals The Nexus between Education and Economic Growth: Analyzing Empirically a Case of Middle-Income Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-60
Author(s):  
Lamia Jamel ◽  
Monia Ben Ltaifa ◽  
Ahmed K Elnagar ◽  
Abdelkader Derbali ◽  
Ali Lamouchi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the nexus between education accumulation and economic growth for a sample of middle-income countries through panel data regressions. The sample consists of 28 middle-income countries from various continents: North Africa and the Middle East (6 countries), sub-Saharan Africa (7 countries), Latin America and the Caribbean (8 countries), East Asia and the Pacific (3 countries), and Europe and Central Asia (4 countries). Education is measured by quantitative (average years of labour force study) and qualitative indicators (student scores on international assessments of educational achievements). To test the impact of education accumulation on GDP per capita growth, a static panel is used during the period of study from 1970 to 2014. A dynamic panel is also being developed to estimate the effect of the education stock on the growth rate of GDP per capita. The results confirm the positive and significant impact of the education quantity and quality on economic growth, both in level and variation. The stock of education and its increase are positively affecting the growth. Moreover, this paper’s original findings suggest that the quality of education is more significant than its quantity.

scholarly journals Human fertility in relation to education, economy, religion, contraception, and family planning programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Götmark ◽  
Malte Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
World Population ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Family Planning Programs ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background The world population is expected to increase greatly this century, aggravating current problems related to climate, health, food security, biodiversity, energy and other vital resources. Population growth depends strongly on total fertility rate (TFR), but the relative importance of factors that influence fertility needs more study. Methods We analyze recent levels of fertility in relation to five factors: education (mean school years for females), economy (Gross Domestic Product, GDP, per capita), religiosity, contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR), and strength of family planning programs. We compare six global regions: E Europe, W Europe and related countries, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Arab States, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia. In total, 141 countries are included in the analysis. We estimate the strength of relationships between TFR and the five factors by correlation or regression and present the results graphically. Results In decreasing order of strength, fertility (TFR) correlates negatively with education, CPR, and GDP per capita, and positively with religiosity. Europe deviates from other regions in several ways, e.g. TFR increases with education and decreases with religiosity in W Europe. TFR decreases with increasing strength of family planning programs in three regions, but only weakly so in a fourth, Sub-Saharan Africa (the two European regions lacked such programs). Most factors correlated with TFR are also correlated with each other. In particular, education correlates positively with GDP per capita but negatively with religiosity, which is also negatively related to contraception and GDP per capita. Conclusions These results help identify factors of likely importance for TFR in global regions and countries. More work is needed to establish causality and relative importance of the factors. Our novel quantitative analysis of TFR suggests that religiosity may counteract the ongoing decline of fertility in some regions and countries.

scholarly journals HIV/AIDS and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danjuma Maijama'a ◽  
Shamzaeffa Samsudin ◽  
Shazida jan Mohd Khan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Growth Equation ◽  
Solow Model ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan

<p>This study investigates the effects of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on economic growth in 42<br />sub-Saharan African countries using data spanning from 1990-2013. Unlike previous studies,<br />we use a longer data horizon and take the time lag effect of the epidemic’s incubation period<br />that is, after it might have developed to AIDS into consideration in our estimations. We<br />estimated an empirical growth equation within an augmented Solow model and applied the<br />dynamic system GMM estimator. The results suggest that current HIV prevalence rate –<br />associated with rising morbidity, has a negative effect on GDP per capita growth, conversely<br />AIDS – associated with higher mortality in addition to morbidity, increases per capita GDP<br />growth.</p>

scholarly journals Management of mental health services in Malawi

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Kauye
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Gross Domestic Product ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Domestic Product ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan

Malawi is a country in sub-Saharan Africa bordering Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. It has an area of approximately 118000 km2 and is divided into northern, central and southern regions. It has an estimated population of 13 million, 47% of whom are under 15 years of age and just 5% over 60 years. Its economy is largely based on agriculture, with tobacco being the main export. The projected growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for 2007 was 8.8%; GDP per capita was $284 per annum.

Political stability as a factor affecting growth in agricultural sub-Saharan African countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 160-176
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Świerczyńska ◽  
◽  
Filip Kaczmarek ◽  
Łukasz Kryszak ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

The agricultural countries of sub-Saharan Africa remain the least economically advanced region of the world, with the relatively lowest quality of life. The agricultural sector plays a particularly important role in the economies of these countries. However, it is underdeveloped as a result of factors such as inadequate agricultural policy, institutional instability, chronic droughts, epidemics, deterioration of the environment, deteriorating infrastructure and insufficient investment in agricultural research in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of the paper is to examine the impact of political stabilization on the economic growth in these countries. We were also inclined to determine what the interdependences were between political stability and factors important for agricultural activity for both agricultural and non-agricultural sub-Saharan counties in the 1995–2017 period. The methods used in this research included panel models with fixed effects, non-parametric tests and quantile regression. It was found that stabilizing the political situation and lowering the level of conflict risk contributed to the growth of GDP per capita in both agricultural and non-agricultural countries. However, in agricultural countries, it also influenced the modernization of agricultural production methods and a shift in the proportion of agricultural production in the total volume of imports and exports. Furthermore, it was found that political stability contributed to a greater extent to the improvement of GDP per capita in the lowest income countries.

scholarly journals Selected aspects and specifics of the economic development in sub-Saharan Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 517-528
Author(s):  
Karel Tomšík ◽  
Luboš Smutka
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Trade ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
The Past ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Other World ◽  
High Level

The paper examines the development of economies in the sub-Saharan region. It aims to identify particular development trends specific to the region. That means identifying changes which have occurred in the past five decades in following areas: development of the GDP value ​​and structure, growth in the value of foreign trade, demographic growth, and changes in the value of GDP per capita. The results of the analysis show very constrained economic power of sub-Saharan region. Not only weak economy of the region but also a significant population growth is a problem. Increasing production and trade does not contribute effectively to elimination of high level of poverty and malnutrition which remains a long-term problem of the sub-Saharan region. In real terms, the GDP per capita was growing by less than 1 % in the period 1961–2010. Sub-Saharan region is highly dependent on cooperation with other world regions in its effort to increase economic growth and to improve the economic situation of own population. The GDP growth is thus very sensitive to GDP development in Europe and North America. Concerning the foreign trade, development of sub-Saharan trade is dependent on regions of the Southern and Eastern Asia, and Europe.

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