Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth

After stagnating for much of its postcolonial history, economic performance in Sub?Saharan Africa has markedly improved. Since 1995, average economic growth has been close to 5 percent per year. Has Africa finally turned the corner? This paper anal...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Page, John
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2017
Subjects:
GDP
WTO
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/974001468162254606/Africas-growth-turnaround-from-fewer-mistakes-to-sustained-growth
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28026
id okr-10986-28026
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ABSOLUTE VALUE
ACCOUNTABILITY
AGGREGATE LEVEL
AGRICULTURE
AUCTIONS
AVERAGE GROWTH
AVERAGE GROWTH RATE
AVERAGE INCOME
AVERAGE INCOMES
BARRIERS TO ENTRY
BUREAUCRACY
BUSINESS CLIMATE
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
CAPITAL FLIGHT
CAPITAL MARKETS
COMMODITIES
COMMODITY
COMMODITY PRICE
COMMODITY PRICES
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
COMPETITION POLICY
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
COMPETITIVENESS
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
CORRUPTION
COUNTRY CASE
COUNTRY COVERAGE
COUNTRY DATA
COUNTRY LEVEL
CRIME
CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE
DEBT
DECISION MAKING
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
DEREGULATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING REGIONS
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
DIRECT INVESTMENT
ECONOMETRIC MODELS
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC CRISIS
ECONOMIC DECLINE
ECONOMIC EXPANSION
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC HISTORY
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC POLICY
ECONOMIC STRUCTURE
ECONOMIES OF SCALE
EMPIRICAL LITERATURE
EMPIRICAL RESULTS
ESTIMATED COEFFICIENTS
EXCESS DEMAND
EXCHANGE RATE
EXCHANGE RATES
EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION
EXPORT GROWTH
EXPORT PROMOTION
EXPORTS
EXTERNAL SHOCKS
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FINANCIAL SECTOR
FINANCIAL SECTOR REFORMS
FINANCIAL SYSTEMS
FISCAL DEFICIT
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL POLICIES
FISCAL POLICY
FIXED CAPITAL
FOOD PRICES
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS
FORMAL ECONOMY
GDP
GDP DEFLATOR
GDP PER CAPITA
GLOBAL ECONOMY
GLOBAL MARKETS
GOVERNANCE INDICATOR
GOVERNANCE INDICATORS
GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS
GROWTH DETERMINANTS
GROWTH LITERATURE
GROWTH PERFORMANCE
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
HEALTH CARE
HIGH GROWTH
HIGH INFLATION
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INCOME DATA
INCOME GROWTH
INCOME INEQUALITY
INCOME LEVEL
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES
INEQUALITY
INFANT MORTALITY
INFLATION
INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE
INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
INSTITUTIONAL VARIABLES
INSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSES
INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL
INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL MARKETS
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INVESTMENT CLIMATE
INVESTMENT RATE
INVESTMENT RATES
JOB CREATION
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES
LIFE EXPECTANCY
LONG-RUN GROWTH
LONG­RUN
MACRO POLICY
MACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENT
MACROECONOMIC POLICIES
MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE
MARKET REGULATION
MASSIVE INVESTMENTS
MEAN GROWTH
MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS
NATIONAL INCOME
NATURAL RESOURCE
NATURAL RESOURCES
NEGATIVE IMPACT
OIL EXPORTERS
OUTPUT
OUTPUT RATIOS
PER CAPITA GROWTH
PER CAPITA INCOME
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
POLICY MAKERS
POLICY PERSPECTIVE
POLICY REFORMS
POLITICAL COMPETITION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
POLITICAL LEADERS
POLITICAL STABILITY
POLITICAL SUPPORT
POOR COUNTRIES
POVERTY RATES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRICE MOVEMENTS
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIVATE INVESTMENT
PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCTIVITY
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
PUBLIC DEBT
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC EXPENDITURES
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
PUBLIC INVESTMENT
PUBLIC POLICY
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC WORKS
PURCHASING POWER
PURCHASING POWER PARITY
RAPID EXPANSION
RAPID GROWTH
RATE OF GROWTH
REAL EXCHANGE RATE
REGULATORY QUALITY
REGULATORY REGIME
RICH COUNTRIES
RULE OF LAW
RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
SAVINGS
SHARP REDUCTION
SMALL ENTERPRISES
SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
SOCIAL OUTCOMES
SOCIAL VARIABLES
STANDARD DEVIATION
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
STRUCTURAL BREAK
STRUCTURAL POLICIES
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONES
TOTAL COSTS
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
TRADE REFORMS
TRADE REGIME
TRANSACTION COSTS
TRANSPARENCY
TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE
UNEMPLOYMENT
VOLATILITY
WAGES
WEALTH
WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
WTO
YOUTH
spellingShingle ABSOLUTE VALUE
ACCOUNTABILITY
AGGREGATE LEVEL
AGRICULTURE
AUCTIONS
AVERAGE GROWTH
AVERAGE GROWTH RATE
AVERAGE INCOME
AVERAGE INCOMES
BARRIERS TO ENTRY
BUREAUCRACY
BUSINESS CLIMATE
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
CAPITAL FLIGHT
CAPITAL MARKETS
COMMODITIES
COMMODITY
COMMODITY PRICE
COMMODITY PRICES
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
COMPETITION POLICY
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
COMPETITIVENESS
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT
CORRUPTION
COUNTRY CASE
COUNTRY COVERAGE
COUNTRY DATA
COUNTRY LEVEL
CRIME
CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE
DEBT
DECISION MAKING
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
DEREGULATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING REGIONS
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
DIRECT INVESTMENT
ECONOMETRIC MODELS
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC CRISIS
ECONOMIC DECLINE
ECONOMIC EXPANSION
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC HISTORY
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC POLICY
ECONOMIC STRUCTURE
ECONOMIES OF SCALE
EMPIRICAL LITERATURE
EMPIRICAL RESULTS
ESTIMATED COEFFICIENTS
EXCESS DEMAND
EXCHANGE RATE
EXCHANGE RATES
EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION
EXPORT GROWTH
EXPORT PROMOTION
EXPORTS
EXTERNAL SHOCKS
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FINANCIAL SECTOR
FINANCIAL SECTOR REFORMS
FINANCIAL SYSTEMS
FISCAL DEFICIT
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL POLICIES
FISCAL POLICY
FIXED CAPITAL
FOOD PRICES
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS
FORMAL ECONOMY
GDP
GDP DEFLATOR
GDP PER CAPITA
GLOBAL ECONOMY
GLOBAL MARKETS
GOVERNANCE INDICATOR
GOVERNANCE INDICATORS
GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS
GROWTH DETERMINANTS
GROWTH LITERATURE
GROWTH PERFORMANCE
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
HEALTH CARE
HIGH GROWTH
HIGH INFLATION
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INCOME DATA
INCOME GROWTH
INCOME INEQUALITY
INCOME LEVEL
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES
INEQUALITY
INFANT MORTALITY
INFLATION
INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE
INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
INSTITUTIONAL VARIABLES
INSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSES
INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL
INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL MARKETS
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INVESTMENT CLIMATE
INVESTMENT RATE
INVESTMENT RATES
JOB CREATION
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES
LIFE EXPECTANCY
LONG-RUN GROWTH
LONG­RUN
MACRO POLICY
MACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENT
MACROECONOMIC POLICIES
MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE
MARKET REGULATION
MASSIVE INVESTMENTS
MEAN GROWTH
MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS
NATIONAL INCOME
NATURAL RESOURCE
NATURAL RESOURCES
NEGATIVE IMPACT
OIL EXPORTERS
OUTPUT
OUTPUT RATIOS
PER CAPITA GROWTH
PER CAPITA INCOME
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
POLICY MAKERS
POLICY PERSPECTIVE
POLICY REFORMS
POLITICAL COMPETITION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
POLITICAL LEADERS
POLITICAL STABILITY
POLITICAL SUPPORT
POOR COUNTRIES
POVERTY RATES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRICE MOVEMENTS
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIVATE INVESTMENT
PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCTIVITY
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
PUBLIC DEBT
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC EXPENDITURES
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
PUBLIC INVESTMENT
PUBLIC POLICY
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC WORKS
PURCHASING POWER
PURCHASING POWER PARITY
RAPID EXPANSION
RAPID GROWTH
RATE OF GROWTH
REAL EXCHANGE RATE
REGULATORY QUALITY
REGULATORY REGIME
RICH COUNTRIES
RULE OF LAW
RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
SAVINGS
SHARP REDUCTION
SMALL ENTERPRISES
SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE
SOCIAL OUTCOMES
SOCIAL VARIABLES
STANDARD DEVIATION
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
STRUCTURAL BREAK
STRUCTURAL POLICIES
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONES
TOTAL COSTS
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
TRADE REFORMS
TRADE REGIME
TRANSACTION COSTS
TRANSPARENCY
TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE
UNEMPLOYMENT
VOLATILITY
WAGES
WEALTH
WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
WTO
YOUTH
Page, John
Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth
geographic_facet Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
relation Commission on Growth and Development Working Paper;No. 54
description After stagnating for much of its postcolonial history, economic performance in Sub?Saharan Africa has markedly improved. Since 1995, average economic growth has been close to 5 percent per year. Has Africa finally turned the corner? This paper analyzes growth accelerations and decelerations-that is, country level deviations from long?run trend growth. Seen from this perspective, Africa's record of slow and volatile growth reflects a pattern of offsetting accelerations and declines, and much of the improvement in economic performance in Africa post 1995 turns out to be due to a substantial reduction in the frequency and severity of growth decelerations. The fall in economic declines since 1995 is largely due to better macroeconomic policies, but changes in such 'growth determinants' as investment, export diversification, and productivity have not accompanied the growth boom. Lack of change in these variables and the significant role played by natural resources in sparking growth accelerations suggest that Africa's growth recovery was fragile, even before the recent global economic crisis. The paper concludes by setting out four elements of a strategy that can help move Africa from fewer mistakes to sustained growth: managing natural resources better, pushing nontraditional exports, building the African private sector, and creating new skills.
format Working Paper
author Page, John
author_facet Page, John
author_sort Page, John
title Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth
title_short Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth
title_full Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth
title_fullStr Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth
title_full_unstemmed Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth
title_sort africa's growth turnaround : from fewer mistakes to sustained growth
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2017
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/974001468162254606/Africas-growth-turnaround-from-fewer-mistakes-to-sustained-growth
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28026
_version_ 1764465569019461632
spelling okr-10986-280262021-04-23T14:04:45Z Africa's Growth Turnaround : From Fewer Mistakes to Sustained Growth Page, John ABSOLUTE VALUE ACCOUNTABILITY AGGREGATE LEVEL AGRICULTURE AUCTIONS AVERAGE GROWTH AVERAGE GROWTH RATE AVERAGE INCOME AVERAGE INCOMES BARRIERS TO ENTRY BUREAUCRACY BUSINESS CLIMATE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT CAPITAL FLIGHT CAPITAL MARKETS COMMODITIES COMMODITY COMMODITY PRICE COMMODITY PRICES COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION POLICY COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES COMPETITIVENESS CONSUMER PRICE INDEX CONTRACT ENFORCEMENT CORRUPTION COUNTRY CASE COUNTRY COVERAGE COUNTRY DATA COUNTRY LEVEL CRIME CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE DEBT DECISION MAKING DEPENDENT VARIABLE DEREGULATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING REGIONS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS DIRECT INVESTMENT ECONOMETRIC MODELS ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC CRISIS ECONOMIC DECLINE ECONOMIC EXPANSION ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC HISTORY ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC POLICY ECONOMIC STRUCTURE ECONOMIES OF SCALE EMPIRICAL LITERATURE EMPIRICAL RESULTS ESTIMATED COEFFICIENTS EXCESS DEMAND EXCHANGE RATE EXCHANGE RATES EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION EXPORT GROWTH EXPORT PROMOTION EXPORTS EXTERNAL SHOCKS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL SECTOR FINANCIAL SECTOR REFORMS FINANCIAL SYSTEMS FISCAL DEFICIT FISCAL DEFICITS FISCAL POLICIES FISCAL POLICY FIXED CAPITAL FOOD PRICES FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS FORMAL ECONOMY GDP GDP DEFLATOR GDP PER CAPITA GLOBAL ECONOMY GLOBAL MARKETS GOVERNANCE INDICATOR GOVERNANCE INDICATORS GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS GROWTH DETERMINANTS GROWTH LITERATURE GROWTH PERFORMANCE GROWTH RATE GROWTH RATES HEALTH CARE HIGH GROWTH HIGH INFLATION HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INCOME DATA INCOME GROWTH INCOME INEQUALITY INCOME LEVEL INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES INEQUALITY INFANT MORTALITY INFLATION INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS INSTITUTIONAL VARIABLES INSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSES INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL MARKETS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT CLIMATE INVESTMENT RATE INVESTMENT RATES JOB CREATION LABOR FORCE LABOR MARKET LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES LIFE EXPECTANCY LONG-RUN GROWTH LONG­RUN MACRO POLICY MACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENT MACROECONOMIC POLICIES MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE MARKET REGULATION MASSIVE INVESTMENTS MEAN GROWTH MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS NATIONAL ACCOUNTS NATIONAL INCOME NATURAL RESOURCE NATURAL RESOURCES NEGATIVE IMPACT OIL EXPORTERS OUTPUT OUTPUT RATIOS PER CAPITA GROWTH PER CAPITA INCOME PERFORMANCE INDICATORS POLICY MAKERS POLICY PERSPECTIVE POLICY REFORMS POLITICAL COMPETITION POLITICAL ECONOMY POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS POLITICAL LEADERS POLITICAL STABILITY POLITICAL SUPPORT POOR COUNTRIES POVERTY RATES POVERTY REDUCTION PRICE MOVEMENTS PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIVATE INVESTMENT PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH PUBLIC DEBT PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC EXPENDITURES PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS PUBLIC INVESTMENT PUBLIC POLICY PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT PUBLIC WORKS PURCHASING POWER PURCHASING POWER PARITY RAPID EXPANSION RAPID GROWTH RATE OF GROWTH REAL EXCHANGE RATE REGULATORY QUALITY REGULATORY REGIME RICH COUNTRIES RULE OF LAW RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE SAVINGS SHARP REDUCTION SMALL ENTERPRISES SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE SOCIAL OUTCOMES SOCIAL VARIABLES STANDARD DEVIATION STATISTICAL ANALYSIS STRUCTURAL BREAK STRUCTURAL POLICIES TELECOMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONES TOTAL COSTS TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY TRADE REFORMS TRADE REGIME TRANSACTION COSTS TRANSPARENCY TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE UNEMPLOYMENT VOLATILITY WAGES WEALTH WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS WTO YOUTH After stagnating for much of its postcolonial history, economic performance in Sub?Saharan Africa has markedly improved. Since 1995, average economic growth has been close to 5 percent per year. Has Africa finally turned the corner? This paper analyzes growth accelerations and decelerations-that is, country level deviations from long?run trend growth. Seen from this perspective, Africa's record of slow and volatile growth reflects a pattern of offsetting accelerations and declines, and much of the improvement in economic performance in Africa post 1995 turns out to be due to a substantial reduction in the frequency and severity of growth decelerations. The fall in economic declines since 1995 is largely due to better macroeconomic policies, but changes in such 'growth determinants' as investment, export diversification, and productivity have not accompanied the growth boom. Lack of change in these variables and the significant role played by natural resources in sparking growth accelerations suggest that Africa's growth recovery was fragile, even before the recent global economic crisis. The paper concludes by setting out four elements of a strategy that can help move Africa from fewer mistakes to sustained growth: managing natural resources better, pushing nontraditional exports, building the African private sector, and creating new skills. 2017-08-28T19:24:10Z 2017-08-28T19:24:10Z 2009 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/974001468162254606/Africas-growth-turnaround-from-fewer-mistakes-to-sustained-growth http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28026 English en_US Commission on Growth and Development Working Paper;No. 54 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Working Paper Africa Sub-Saharan Africa