IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/mth/ijrd88/v5y2018i1p25.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dimensions of Regional Inequalities in Ghana: Assessing Disparities in the Distribution of Basic Infrastructure Among Northern and Southern Districts

Author

Listed:
  • Mark M. Akrofi
  • Benard A. A. Akanbang
  • Clement K. Abdallah

Abstract

Researches on regional inequalities in Ghana have largely focused on principal cities and towns as well as urban and rural areas. Based on the traditional north-south divide in Ghana, this study explored a third dimension of regional disparities, by assessing the level of infrastructural inequalities among districts in northern and southern Ghana. The study is based on a documentary review of existing statistics on the availability of basic infrastructure in the selected districts. Twelve districts (2 each from 3 regions in the north and south respectively) were involved. The Composite Infrastructure Index (CII) method, Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient techniques were employed. Results showed that, the distribution of basic infrastructure among all twelve districts was skewed towards perfect equality (Gini coefficient= 0.20). Inequalities were however more significant among districts of the north (Gini coefficient= 0.22) than districts of the south (Gini coefficient= 0.12). Albeit positive, no significant correlation was found between CIIs and population (P< .001) as well as Internally Generated Funds (P< .001) of the districts. The study also revealed that, on the average, districts allocated 97.1% of their Internally Generated Funds to administrative costs rather than infrastructure projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark M. Akrofi & Benard A. A. Akanbang & Clement K. Abdallah, 2018. "Dimensions of Regional Inequalities in Ghana: Assessing Disparities in the Distribution of Basic Infrastructure Among Northern and Southern Districts," International Journal of Regional Development, Macrothink Institute, vol. 5(1), pages 1-25, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:mth:ijrd88:v:5:y:2018:i:1:p:25
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijrd/article/download/12293/9966
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijrd/article/view/12293
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Nicholas Gill, 2004. "Is There a Global Link between Regional Disparities and Devolution?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(12), pages 2097-2117, December.
    2. Christian Lessmann, 2012. "Regional Inequality and Decentralization: An Empirical Analysis," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(6), pages 1363-1388, June.
    3. Somik V. Lall & Sanjoy Chakravorty, 2004. "Industrial Location and Spatial Inequality: Theory and Evidence from India," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2004-49, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Charles M. Tiebout, 1956. "A Pure Theory of Local Expenditures," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64, pages 416-416.
    5. Christian Lessmann, 2009. "Fiscal Decentralization and Regional Disparity: Evidence from Cross-Section and Panel Data," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(10), pages 2455-2473, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yuanshuo Xu & Mildred E. Warner, 2022. "Crowding Out Development: Fiscal Federalism after the Great Recession," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(2), pages 311-329, March.
    2. Nupur Nirola & Sohini Sahu & Atrayee Choudhury, 2022. "Fiscal decentralization, regional disparity, and the role of corruption," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 68(3), pages 757-787, June.
    3. Łukasz Piętak, 2022. "Regional disparities, transmission channels and country's economic growth," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 270-306, January.
    4. Roberto Ezcurra & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2017. "Does ethnic segregation matter for spatial inequality?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(6), pages 1149-1178.
    5. Jorge Díaz-Lanchas & Peter Mulder, 2021. "Does decentralization of governance promote urban diversity? Evidence from Spain," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(6), pages 1111-1128, June.
    6. Vassilis Tselios & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2020. "Did Decentralisation Affect Citizens’ Perception of the European Union? The Impact during the Height of Decentralisation in Europe," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-26, May.
    7. Antonio N. Bojanic & LaPorchia A. Collins, 2021. "Differential effects of decentralization on income inequality: evidence from developed and developing countries," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1969-2004, April.
    8. Seidel, André, 2023. "A global map of amenities: Public goods, ethnic divisions and decentralization," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    9. Christian Lessmann, 2012. "Regional Inequality and Decentralization: An Empirical Analysis," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(6), pages 1363-1388, June.
    10. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Ezcurra, Roberto, 2011. "Can the economic impact of political decentralisation be measured?," CEPR Discussion Papers 8211, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Andreas P. Kyriacou & Leonel Muinelo-Gallo & Oriol Roca-Sagalés, 2015. "Regional inequalities, fiscal decentralization and government quality: empirical evidence from simultaneous equations," Working Papers. Collection A: Public economics, governance and decentralization 1501, Universidade de Vigo, GEN - Governance and Economics research Network.
    12. Bellofatto, Antonio Andrés & Besfamille, Martín, 2021. "Tax decentralization notwithstanding regional disparities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    13. Yongzheng Liu & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Alfred M. Wu, 2017. "Fiscal decentralization, equalization, and intra-provincial inequality in China," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 24(2), pages 248-281, April.
    14. Christian Lessmann, 2012. "Regional inequality and decentralization: an empirical analysis," Environment and Planning A, Pion Ltd, London, vol. 44(6), pages 1363-1388, June.
    15. Monica Escaleras & Peter T. Calcagno, 2018. "Does Fiscal Decentralization Affect Infrastructure Quality? An Examination Of U.S. States," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 36(2), pages 410-422, April.
    16. Siburian, Matondang Elsa, 2021. "Fiscal Decentralization, Regional Income Inequality, and the Provision of Local Public Goods: Evidence from Indonesia," Journal of Economic Development, The Economic Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, vol. 46(4), pages 87-103, December.
    17. Yuanshuo Xu & Mildred E Warner, 2016. "Does devolution crowd out development? A spatial analysis of US local government fiscal effort," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(5), pages 871-890, May.
    18. Matondang Elsa Siburian, 2020. "Fiscal Decentralization, Regional Income Inequality, and the Provision of Local Public Goods: Evidence from Indonesia," Working Papers 2001, Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics.
    19. Song, Yang, 2013. "Rising Chinese regional income inequality: The role of fiscal decentralization," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 294-309.
    20. Lessmann, Christian & Seidel, André, 2017. "Regional inequality, convergence, and its determinants – A view from outer space," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 110-132.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:mth:ijrd88:v:5:y:2018:i:1:p:25. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Technical Support Office (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijrd .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.