Explaining Africa's (Dis)advantage

Ann Harrison, Justin Lin () and Lixin Xu

No 18683, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Africa's economic performance has been widely viewed with pessimism. In this paper, we use firm-level data for around 80 countries to examine formal firm performance. Without controls, manufacturing African firms perform significantly worse than firms in other regions. They have lower productivity levels and growth rates, export less, and have lower investment rates. Once we control for geography, political competition and the business environment, formal African firms lead in productivity levels and growth. Africa's conditional advantage is higher in low-tech than in high-tech manufacturing, and exists in manufacturing but not in services. The key factors explaining Africa's disadvantage at the firm level are lack of infrastructure, access to finance, and political competition.

JEL-codes: O14 O4 O43 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-bec, nep-dev and nep-eff
Note: EEE ITI
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published as Harrison, Ann E. & Lin, Justin Yifu & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2014. "Explaining Africaâs (Dis)advantage," World Development, Elsevier, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 59-77.

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Journal Article: Explaining Africa’s (Dis)advantage (2014)
Working Paper: Explaining Africa's (Dis)advantage (2013)
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