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Mauritius: African Success Story

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  • Jeffrey A. Frankel

Abstract

What explains the success of Mauritius, a top performer among African countries? It has mostly followed growth-enhancing policies, which can in turn be attributed to sound institutions. But from where did the institutions come? Mauritius chose well around the time of independence in 1968, for example opting for the rule of law over nationalization of its sugar plantations. Some fundamental determinants that econometrically can explain success worldwide do not work within Africa: size, remoteness, tropics, and ethnic fragmentation. An intriguing theory: small islands that were populated entirely by immigrants escape the ethnic conflict that arises when one group is indigenous.

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  • Jeffrey A. Frankel, 2010. "Mauritius: African Success Story," NBER Working Papers 16569, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16569
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    6. Jorge Braga de Macedo & Luís Brites Pereira, 2014. "Cape Verde and Mozambique as Development Successes in West and Southern Africa," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume IV: Sustainable Growth, pages 203-293, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Mr. Antonio David & Mr. Martin Petri, 2013. "Inclusive Growth and the Incidence of Fiscal Policy in Mauritius: Much Progress, But More Could be Done," IMF Working Papers 2013/116, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Vinaye Dey Ancharaz & Harshana Kasseeah, 2016. "Surviving Chinese Competition in a Post-Multi-Fibre Arrangement World," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 8(1), pages 35-59, January.
    9. Mullings, Robert & Mahabir, Aruneema, 2018. "Growth by Destination: The Role of Trade in Africa’s Recent Growth Episode," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 243-261.
    10. Katsiaryna Svirydzenka & Martin Petri, 2017. "Mauritius: The Drivers of Growth – Can the Past Be Extended?," Journal of Banking and Financial Economics, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 2(8), pages 54-83, October.
    11. Zenthöfer, A.F., 2011. "The Resource Curse - A Natural Experiment," Discussion Paper 2011-028, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    12. Jorge Braga de Macedo, 2012. "Cape Verde’s foreign policy: an economic perspective," Nova SBE Working Paper Series wp572, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics.
    13. Fanny Hoogstoel & Sékou Samadoulougou & Vincent Lorant & Fati Kirakoya-Samadoulougou, 2021. "A Latent Class Analysis of Health Lifestyles in Relation to Suicidality among Adolescents in Mauritius," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-15, June.
    14. Thorvaldur Gylfason & Jean-Pascal Nguessa Nganou, 2014. "Diversification, Dutch Disease, and Economic Growth: Options for Uganda," CESifo Working Paper Series 5095, CESifo.
    15. Augustin Kwasi Fosu & Dede Woade Gafa, 2020. "Development Strategies for the Vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS)," Working Papers 202073, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
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    17. Daniel Lederman & Justin T. Lesniak, 2018. "Open and Nimble," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28544.
    18. Xavier Cirera & Francesca Foliano & Michael Gasiorek, 2016. "The impact of preferences on developing countries’ exports to the European Union: bilateral gravity modelling at the product level," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 59-102, February.
    19. Sebil Olalekan Oshota & Bashir Adelowo Wahab, 2022. "Institutional Quality and Intra-Regional Trade Flows: Evidence from ECOWAS," Journal of African Trade, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 73-106, December.
    20. Roshini Brizmohun & Diana Alessandrini & Valentina Hartarska, 2021. "Gender wage gap in small islands: Effect of a policy framework in Mauritius," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2207-2229, November.
    21. Ahmadou Aly Mbaye & Stephen Golub & Anastasia Vasilyeva, 2019. "Senegal’s International Competitiveness and Employment Creation for Women and Youth. The Product Space Analysis and Fieldwork Findings," Working Papers idrcdprusenegal, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    22. Angelica E. Njuguna & Emmanuel Nnadozie, 2022. "Investment Climate and Foreign Direct Investment in Africa: The Role of Ease of Doing Business," Journal of African Trade, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 23-46, December.
    23. Thorvaldur Gylfason & Gylfi Zoega, 2014. "The Dutch Disease in Reverse: Iceland’s Natural Experiment," OxCarre Working Papers 138, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford.

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    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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