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Spatial inefficiencies in Africa’s trade network

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  • Graff, Tilman

Abstract

I assess the efficiency of transport networks for every country in Africa. Using spatial data from various sources, I simulate trade flows over more than 70,000 links covering the entire continent. I maximise over the space of networks and find the optimal road system for every African state. My simulations predict that Africa would gain 1.3% of total welfare from reorganising its national road systems, and 0.8% from optimally expanding it by a tenth. I then construct a dataset of local network inefficiency and find that colonial infrastructure projects significantly skew trade networks towards a sub-optimal equilibrium today. I find suggestive evidence that regional favouritism played a role sustaining these imbalances.

Suggested Citation

  • Graff, Tilman, 2024. "Spatial inefficiencies in Africa’s trade network," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s0304387824000683
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2024.103319
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    2. Luisito Bertinelli & Evie Graus & Jean-François Maystadt & Silvia Peracchi, 2025. "Roads and child health in Sub-Saharan Africa," DEM Discussion Paper Series 25-18, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.

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