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The distributional impact of the Sierra Leone conflict on household welfare

Author

Listed:
  • Reilly Barry

    (Department of Economics, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex, UK)

  • Sam Hannah

    (Claude Littner Business School, University of West London, Brentford, UK)

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the Sierra Leone civil war on household expenditure inequality. The paper exploits three rounds of household survey data for Sierra Leone in an attempt to estimate the impact of the conflict on the distribution of household welfare over both short-run and long-run periods. The empirical approach uses RIF measures based on the Gini index and also provides estimates of treatment effects at selected quantiles of the unconditional household expenditure distribution. The key findings reveal that localities subject to a protracted period of occupation by rebel forces experienced a sharp reduction in household expenditure inequality in the immediate aftermath of the conflict with most of the contraction evident at the top end of the distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Reilly Barry & Sam Hannah, 2022. "The distributional impact of the Sierra Leone conflict on household welfare," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 13(1), pages 1-41, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:izajdm:v:13:y:2022:i:1:p:41:n:5
    DOI: 10.2478/izajodm-2022-0009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    conflict; Sierra Leone; household welfare inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N47 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Africa; Oceania
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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