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Top Institutions and Economists in the Field of Africa, as of May 2026

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This page is part of a larger set of rankings for research items, serials, authors and institutions made available on this site. A FAQ is available.

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  • The scores of institutions in each field are determined by a weighted sum of all scores of authors affiliated with the respective institutions, where the authors have provided weights ("shares") if they have multiple affiliations. The weights are determined, for each author, by the proportion of all working papers announced in NEP that have also been announced in this NEP report.
  • To be classified, an author needs to have five or more working papers announced in the NEP report for this field. For authors whose first paper is less that 10 years old, having 25% of the papers in the NEP report is sufficient.
  • Only classified authors are considered for the institution scores.
  • A series of rankings by different criteria are aggregated. The average rank score is determined by taking a harmonic mean of the ranks in each criterion. For a list of criteria, see the general ranking page.
  • Authors who are deceased or whose email address with RePEc is invalid are not counted, the latter under the assumption that they have moved or have died
  • For institutions: Authors who are deceased or whose email address with RePEc is invalid are not counted, the latter under the assumption that they have moved or have died
  • There are 9321 institutions with 73501 registered authors evaluated for all the rankings
  • For Africa, these are 529 institutions and 724 authors.

The data presented here are experimental. They are based on a sample of the research output in Economics and Finance. Only material catalogued in RePEc is considered. For any citation based criterion, only works that could be parsed by the CitEc project are considered. For any ranking of people, only those registered with the RePEc Author Service can be taken into account. And for rankings of institutions, only those listed in EDIRC and claimed as affiliation by the respective, registered authors can be measured. Thus, this list is by no means based on a complete sample. You can help making this more comprehensive by encouraging more publications to be listed (instructions) and more authors to register (form). For more details on the various rankings that are available as well for documentation, follow this link.

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Top Institutions

Rank Institution Score Authors Author
Shares
1World Bank Group, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)1.003713.73
2Oxford University → Department of Economics, Oxford, United Kingdom2.22172.80
3International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)2.634914.60
-World Bank Group → Economics Research, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)3.23184.48
-Oxford University → Department of Economics → Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), Oxford, United Kingdom3.23122.24
4Brown University → Economics Department, Providence, Rhode Island (United States)4.3150.57
5Michigan State University → College of Agriculture and Natural Resources → Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, East Lansing, Michigan (United States)5.10147.29
6University of Chicago → Harris School of Public Policy, Chicago, Illinois (United States)6.4320.49
7National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)7.37120.56
8London School of Economics (LSE), London, United Kingdom8.7871.76
9New York University (NYU) → Department of Economics, New York City, New York (United States)9.7310.21
10Göteborgs Universitet → Handelshögskolan, Göteborg, Sweden10.1094.12
11Stockholms Universitet → Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES), Stockholm, Sweden11.4820.71
12University of Pretoria → Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Pretoria, South Africa12.60196.39
13University of British Columbia → Vancouver School of Economics, Vancouver, Canada12.8410.21
14Princeton University → Department of Economics, Princeton, New Jersey (United States)13.2320.36
-University of Pretoria → Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences → Department of Economics, Pretoria, South Africa13.82196.39
15Harvard University → Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)14.5950.17
16University of Stellenbosch → Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Stellenbosch, South Africa15.002411.60
17Tufts University → Department of Economics, Medford, Massachusetts (United States)15.6640.83
-Göteborgs Universitet → Handelshögskolan → Institutionen för Nationalekonomi med Statistik, Göteborg, Sweden16.9182.70
18Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) → Economics Department, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)17.1220.26
19University of California-Berkeley → Department of Economics, Berkeley, California (United States)17.1410.15
-University of Stellenbosch → Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences → Department of Economics, Stellenbosch, South Africa17.342310.93
20University of Chicago → Department of Economics, Chicago, Illinois (United States)20.8610.10
21Stanford University → Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford, California (United States)21.2410.18
22Cornell University → College of Agriculture and Life Sciences → Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Ithaca, New York (United States)21.4540.38
23Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics (IIE), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)23.1740.19
24Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft - Leibniz Zentrum zur Erforschung globaler ökonomischer Herausforderungen (IfW), Kiel, Germany24.57101.18
25Northwestern University → Department of Economics, Evanston, Illinois (United States)24.7220.28
26African Governance and Development Institute (AGDI), Yaoundé, Cameroun25.1641.42
27University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC) → Economics Department, Santa Cruz, California (United States)27.0610.43
28London Business School (LBS), London, United Kingdom27.1410.25
-London Business School (LBS) → Department of Economics, London, United Kingdom28.1510.25
29Yale University → Economics Department, New Haven, Connecticut (United States)28.2420.23
-London School of Economics (LSE) → Department of Geography and Environment, London, United Kingdom28.5510.11
30Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Milano, Italy29.8520.30
31Northwestern University → Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Evanston, Illinois (United States)31.7020.39
32University of Cape Town → Faculty of Commerce → School of Economics → Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), Cape Town, South Africa32.4662.27
33Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), London, United Kingdom32.82120.24
34Princeton University → School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton, New Jersey (United States)33.2210.11
35Harvard University → Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health → Department of Global Health and Population, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)33.4920.21
36Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg33.70241.63
37Universiteit Antwerpen → Instituut voor Ontwikkelingsbeleid en -beheer (IOB), Antwerpen, Belgium34.8972.60
38Université Libre de Bruxelles → Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Bruxelles, Belgium35.9020.56
39European University Institute → Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS), Firenze, Italy36.5510.07
40Barcelona School of Economics (BSE), Barcelona, Spain37.0630.68
41University of Ghana → Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Legon, Ghana38.1820.86
-Université Libre de Bruxelles → Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management → European Centre for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES), Bruxelles, Belgium38.3420.54
-Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) → IZA@LISER Network, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg38.49231.13
42University of Cape Town → Faculty of Commerce, Cape Town, South Africa39.11103.18
-University of Cape Town → Faculty of Commerce → School of Economics, Cape Town, South Africa39.11103.18
43African Development Bank, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire39.8752.41
44United Nations → Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Roma, Italy40.7741.09
45University of Michigan → Economics Department, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)41.5931.03
46Center for Global Development (CGD), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)42.5251.03
-London School of Economics (LSE) → Financial Markets Group (FMG), London, United Kingdom42.6810.07
47Texas A&M International University → Division of International Banking & Finance Studies, Laredo, Texas (United States)42.9610.38
48University of Nottingham → School of Economics, Nottingham, United Kingdom45.2140.59
49Universidade Nova de Lisboa → School of Business and Economics, Lisboa, Portugal50.7220.64
50Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) → Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)51.3410.04
51Universidad Nacional de La Plata → Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, La Plata, Argentina51.4620.65
52Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg → Fakultät für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Heidelberg, Germany52.2710.13

Top Authors

Rank Author Score
1Paul Collier
Oxford University → Department of Economics → Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), Oxford, United Kingdom
2.74
2Stefan Dercon
Oxford University → Department of Economics → Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), Oxford, United Kingdom
5.64
3Nathan Nunn
University of British Columbia → Vancouver School of Economics, Vancouver, Canada
6.37
4James Levinsohn6.65
5David Malin Roodman7.22
6William Easterly
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)
New York University (NYU) → Department of Economics, New York City, New York (United States)
7.24
7James Alan Robinson
University of Chicago → Harris School of Public Policy, Chicago, Illinois (United States)
7.64
8Dani Rodrik
Harvard University → Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)
7.67
9Marcel A Fafchamps
Stanford University → Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford, California (United States)
9.12
10Jakob Svensson
Stockholms Universitet → Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES), Stockholm, Sweden
10.05
11Anne Case12.06
12David Weil
Brown University → Economics Department, Providence, Rhode Island (United States)
13.94
13Pascaline Dupas
Princeton University → Department of Economics, Princeton, New Jersey (United States)
13.97
14Simon Johnson14.53
15Edward Andrew Miguel
University of California-Berkeley → Department of Economics, Berkeley, California (United States)
14.93
16Elias Papaioannou
London Business School (LBS) → Department of Economics, London, United Kingdom
14.96
17Simplice A. Asongu
African Governance and Development Institute (AGDI), Yaoundé, Cameroun
15.29
18Thomas S. Jayne
Michigan State University → College of Agriculture and Natural Resources → Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, East Lansing, Michigan (United States)
16.01
19Michael Kremer
University of Chicago → Department of Economics, Chicago, Illinois (United States)
18.54
20Augustin Fosu
University of Ghana → Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Legon, Ghana
20.94
21Rangan Gupta
University of Pretoria → Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences → Department of Economics, Pretoria, South Africa
22.48
22Jonathan Robinson
University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC) → Economics Department, Santa Cruz, California (United States)
24.74
23Oded Galor
Brown University → Economics Department, Providence, Rhode Island (United States)
25.82
24Christopher Udry
Northwestern University → Department of Economics, Evanston, Illinois (United States)
25.93
25Aart Kraay
World Bank Group → Economics Research, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
25.96
26Esther Duflo
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) → Economics Department, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)
27.12
27Dean Karlan
Northwestern University → Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Evanston, Illinois (United States)
27.26
28Quentin Wodon27.40
29J. Vernon Henderson
London School of Economics (LSE) → Department of Geography and Environment, London, United Kingdom
28.30
30Stelios Michalopoulos
Brown University → Economics Department, Providence, Rhode Island (United States)
29.20
31Brian M. Lucey
Trinity College Dublin → School of Business, Dublin, Ireland
33.15
32Xinshen Diao
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
33.69
33Klaus W. Deininger
World Bank Group → Economics Research, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
35.01
34Eliana La Ferrara35.03
35Robert Cull
World Bank Group → Economics Research, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
35.94
36David Lam
University of Michigan → Economics Department, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)
36.03
37Francis John Teal
Oxford University → Department of Economics → Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), Oxford, United Kingdom
36.81
38Douglas Gollin
Tufts University → Department of Economics, Medford, Massachusetts (United States)
38.80
39Antonio Ciccone
Barcelona School of Economics (BSE) → Universitat Pompeu Fabra → Departament d'Economia i Empresa, Barcelona, Spain
39.49
40George Clarke
Texas A&M International University → Division of International Banking & Finance Studies, Laredo, Texas (United States)
39.69
41Isaac M. Mbiti
University of Virginia → Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, Charlottesville, Virginia (United States)
40.56
42John C. Anyanwu
African Development Bank, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
40.75
43Thorsten Beck
European University Institute → Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS), Firenze, Italy
41.10
44Anthony J. Venables
Oxford University → Department of Economics, Oxford, United Kingdom
41.18
45Carlos Pestana Barros41.30
46John Muellbauer
Oxford University → Department of Economics, Oxford, United Kingdom
41.44
47Sanjaya Lall42.05
48Margaret Mcmillan
Tufts University → Department of Economics, Medford, Massachusetts (United States)
42.34
49Markus P. Goldstein
World Bank Group, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
45.78
50Christopher Blattman
University of Chicago → Harris School of Public Policy, Chicago, Illinois (United States)
48.04
51Philip Verwimp
Université Libre de Bruxelles → Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management → European Centre for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES), Bruxelles, Belgium
49.39
52Kathleen Beegle
World Bank Group → Economics Research, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
50.22
53Christopher B. Barrett
Cornell University → College of Agriculture and Life Sciences → Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Ithaca, New York (United States)
52.43
54Axel Dreher
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg → Fakultät für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften → Alfred-Weber-Institut für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Heidelberg, Germany
53.01
55Arne Bigsten
Göteborgs Universitet → Handelshögskolan → Institutionen för Nationalekonomi med Statistik, Göteborg, Sweden
53.72
56Stephen A. O'Connell
Swarthmore College → Department of Economics, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (United States)
53.73
57Alexander Moradi
Libera Università di Bolzano / Freie Universität Bozen → Facoltà di Economia / Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakutät, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
54.29
58Damien de Walque
World Bank Group → Economics Research, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
58.75
59Dorrit Posel
University of the Witwatersrand → Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management → School of Economic and Finance, Johannesburg, South Africa
59.69
60Lori Beaman59.98
61Richard Akresh
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign → Department of Economics, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois (United States)
60.19
62Elizabeth Asiedu
Howard University → Department of Economics, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
61.13
63Johannes Wolfgang Fedderke61.31
64David Bloom
Harvard University → Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health → Department of Global Health and Population, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States)
61.34
65Robert Owen Mendelsohn
Yale University → Economics Department, New Haven, Connecticut (United States)
61.93
66Simeon Djankov
London School of Economics (LSE) → Financial Markets Group (FMG), London, United Kingdom
62.35
67Dirk Kohnert
German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Hamburg, Germany
62.93
68Remi Jedwab
George Washington University → Department of Economics, Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
63.07
69Menale Kassie
Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP), Nairobi, Kenya
63.15
70Leonce Ndikumana
University of Massachusetts-Amherst → Department of Economics, Amherst, Massachusetts (United States)
63.89
71James Thurlow
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
63.93
72Arvind Subramanian
Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics (IIE), Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
63.97
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