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Financial Deepening, Property Rights, and Poverty: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Raju Jan Singh

    (The World Bank, United States)

  • Yifei Huang

    (GMO, United States)

Abstract

Recent studies on the relationship between financial development and poverty have been inconclusive. Some claim that, by allowing more entrepreneurs to obtain financing, financial development improves the allocation of capital, which has a particularly large impact on the poor. Others argue that it is primarily the rich and politically connected who benefit from improvements in the financial system. This paper looks at a sample of 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa from 1992 through 2006. Its results suggest that financial deepening could widen income inequality and increase poverty, if not accompanied by stronger property rights. Similarly, interest rate and lending liberalization alone could be detrimental to the poor without institutional reforms, in particular stronger property rights and wider access to credit information.

Suggested Citation

  • Raju Jan Singh & Yifei Huang, 2015. "Financial Deepening, Property Rights, and Poverty: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Banking and Financial Economics, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 1(3), pages 130-151, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sgm:jbfeuw:v:1:y:2015:i:3:p:130-151
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Lemnge, Deusdedit Augustine & Raphael, Gwahula, 2023. "Financial Development and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 11(4), September.
    2. Clement Olalekan Olaniyi & James Temitope Dada & Nicholas Mbaya Odhiambo & Xuan Vinh Vo, 2023. "Modelling asymmetric structure in the finance-poverty nexus: empirical insights from an emerging market economy," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 453-487, February.
    3. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2021. "Exchange rate pressure, fiscal redistribution and poverty in developing countries," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 1173-1203, November.
    4. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2023. "Do unilateral trade preferences help reduce poverty in beneficiary countries?," International Journal of Economic Policy Studies, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 249-288, February.
    5. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2020. "Aid for Trade flows and Poverty Reduction in Recipient-Countries," EconStor Preprints 213807, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    6. Moses Umkanagwa Paul & Prof Ibrahim Baba Iya, PhD & Miftahu Idris, PhD, 2023. "Impact of Financial Development and Economic Growth on Poverty in Middle Income African Countries," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(9), pages 142-155, September.
    7. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2021. "Do Unilateral Trade Preferences Help Reduce Poverty in Beneficiary Countries?," EconStor Preprints 247346, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    8. Lubinga, Moses H., 2016. "The role of agricultural trade and policy complementarities in poverty reduction in South Africa," NAMC Publications 253094, National Agricultural Marketing Council.
    9. Appiah-Otoo, Isaac & Chen, Xudong & Song, Na & Dumor, Koffi, 2022. "Financial development, institutional improvement, poverty reduction: The multiple challenges in West Africa," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(6), pages 1296-1312.
    10. Nasreddine Kaidi & Sami Mensi & Mehdi Ben Amor, 2019. "Financial Development, Institutional Quality and Poverty Reduction: Worldwide Evidence," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(1), pages 131-156, January.
    11. Alshubiri, Faris, 2021. "Financial deepening indicators and income inequality of OECD and ASIAN countries," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    12. Singh,Raju & Huang,Yifei, 2016. "Financial channels, property rights, and poverty : a Sub-Saharan African perspective," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7559, The World Bank.
    13. Raju Jan Singh & Yifei Huang, 2016. "Financial Channels, Property Rights and Poverty: A Sub-Saharan African Perspective This work was initiated when Raju Jan Singh was a Senior Economist and Yifei Huang a summer intern at the African Dep," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 45(3), pages 327-351, November.
    14. Nasreddine Kaidi & Sami Mensi, 2020. "Financial Development, Income Inequality, and Poverty Reduction: Democratic Versus Autocratic Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(4), pages 1358-1381, December.
    15. Nasreddine Kaidi & Sami Mensi, 2018. "Financial Development and Poverty Reduction: A Study of Middle-Income Countries," Working Papers 1216, Economic Research Forum, revised 05 Sep 2018.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial development; poverty alleviation; income distribution; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General

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