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The Role of Capital Accumulation, Adjustment and Structural Change for Economic Take-Off: Empirical Evidence from African Growth Episodes

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Listed author(s):
  • Berthelemy, Jean-claude
  • Soderling, Ludvig

Abstract

In this study, we analyse extended periods of growth in Africa based on panel estimations from 27 African countries during the 1960-1996 period. Only a dozen of such rapid growth episodes are observable in Africa since 1960, and several of them eventually came to an end. We use all existing information on macroeconomic performance in Africa in a comparative manner, in order to assess the sustainability of current growth episodes. Our main conclusion is that sustainable growth needs to be based on a balanced mix of capital accumulation, macroeconomic adjustment and structural change. In addition to more commonly used determinants of Total Factor Productivity, we construct a measure for the effect of labour reallocation as well as an index of economic diversification and estimate the impact of the latter on long-term growth. We also build an analysis of investment behaviour, which is influenced by Total Factor Productivity gains, while influencing economic growth directly through ... Dans ce document, nous analysons des périodes de croissance prolongées en Afrique sur la base d’estimations en données de panel pour 27 pays sur la période 1960-1996. Il n’y a eu qu’une douzaine de tels épisodes de croissance « rapide » en Afrique depuis 1960 et beaucoup d’entre eux se sont soldés par des échecs. Nous utilisons à titre comparatif l’ensemble des informations disponibles sur les performances macroéconomiques en Afrique, afin d’évaluer le caractère soutenable des épisodes de croissance en cours. Notre principale conclusion est que pour être soutenable, la croissance doit reposer sur une combinaison équilibrée d’accumulation du capital, d’ajustement macroéconomique et de changement structurel. En complément des déterminants usuels de la productivité globale des facteurs, nous construisons un indicateur de l’effet de la réallocation du travail ainsi qu’un indicateur de diversification économique, dont nous testons l’impact sur la croissance à long terme. Nous proposons ...

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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal World Development.

Volume (Year): 29 (2001)
Issue (Month): 2 (February)
Pages: 323-343

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Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:29:y:2001:i:2:p:323-343
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
  • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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Cited by:

  1. Gunter, Bernhard G., 2001. "Does the HIPC Initiative Achieve its Goal of Debt Sustainability?," WIDER Working Paper Series 100, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  2. Chris Papageorgiou & Winford H. Masanjala, 2006. "Initial Conditions, European Colonialism and Africa's Growth," Departmental Working Papers 2006-01, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University.
  3. Carmignani, Fabrizio & Mandeville, Thomas, 2014. "Never been industrialized: A tale of African structural change," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 124-137.
  4. Jean-Claude Berthelémy & Sophie Chauvin, 2000. "Structural Changes in Asia and Growth Prospects After the Crisis," Working Papers 2000-09, CEPII research center.
  5. Oleg Badunenko & Daniel Henderson & Romain Houssa, 2014. "Significant drivers of growth in Africa," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 339-354, December.
  6. Justin Yifu Lin, 2012. "From Flying Geese To Leading Dragons: New Opportunities and Strategies for Structural Transformation in Developing Countries," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 3(4), pages 397-409, November.
  7. Chen, Shiyi & Jefferson, Gary H. & Zhang, Jun, 2011. "Structural change, productivity growth and industrial transformation in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 133-150, March.
  8. Amimo, Oliveira & Larson, Donald W. & Bittencourt, Maurício Vaz Lobo & Graham, Douglas H., 2003. "The Potential For Financial Savings In Rural Mozambican Households," 2003 Annual Meeting, August 16-22, 2003, Durban, South Africa 25921, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
  9. Wang, Fei & Dong, Baomin & Yin, Xiaopeng & An, Chi, 2014. "China's structural change: A new SDA model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 256-266.
  10. Ludvig Söderling, 2002. "Escaping the Curse of Oil? The Case of Gabon," IMF Working Papers 02/93, International Monetary Fund.

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