While it is possible for economies to grow based on abundant land or natural resources, more often structural change?the shift of resources from low-productivity to high-productivity sectors?is the key driver of economic growth. Structural transformation is vital for Africa. The region?s...

Why is there so little industry in Africa? Over the past forty years, industry and business interests have moved increasingly from the developed to the developing world, yet Africa's share of global manufacturing has fallen from about 3 percent in 1970 to less than 2 percent in 2014. Industry is...

Why industry matters for Africa -- Why industry matters for Africa -- Realities and opportunities -- Industrialization efforts and outcomes -- Can Africa break in? -- Learning to compete -- Productivity, exports and competition -- Firm capabilities -- Industrial clusters -- How Africa can...

This paper examines trends in income distribution and its linkages to economic growth and poverty reduction in order to understand the prospects for achieving poverty reduction in Africa. We examine the levels and trends in income distribution in some African countries and calculate pro-poor...

While it is possible for economies to grow based on abundant land or natural resources, more often structural change-the shift of resources from low-productivity to high-productivity sectors-is the key driver of economic growth. Structural transformation is vital for Africa. The region's...

Developing countries often face two well-known structural problems: high youth unemployment and high inequality. In recent decades, policymakers have increased the share of government spending on education in developing countries to address both of these issues. The empirical literature offers...