Rapid urbanization is a fact of live even in the least developed countries (LDCs) where the lion’s share of the population presently lives in rural areas and will continue to do so for decades to come. At the turn of the millennium 75% of the LDCs’ population still lived in rural areas and...

In the aftermath of the recent global financial crisis, the implication of financial liberalisation for stability and economic growth has come under increasing scrutiny. One strand of literature posits a positive relationship between financial liberalisation and economic growth and development....