Did Colonization Matter for Growth? An Empirical Exploration into the Historical Causes of Africa's Underdevelopment

Graziella Bertocchi () and Fabio Canova

No 1444, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of twentieth-century European colonization on African countries. We find that colonization mattered for growth. The following had some beneficial growth effects: being a dependency rather than a colony; being a colony of France or the United Kingdom rather than Belgium, Italy or Portugal; and being less exploited. On average, growth accelerates after independence. Variables proxying for colonial heritage add explanatory power to standard growth regressions, while indicators for human capital and political and ethnic instability lose significance. The coefficient of a dummy for sub-Saharan Africa becomes less significant in a cross section of 98 countries after controlling for colonial experience.

Keywords: Africa; Colonization; Growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E00 N10 O40 Q32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1996-09
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (52)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Did colonization matter for growth?: An empirical exploration into the historical causes of Africa's underdevelopment (2002)
Working Paper: Did colonization matter for growth? An empirical exploration into the historical causes of Africa's underdevelopment (1996)
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