John Page, Chief Economist

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EIGHT THINGS YOU (MAY NOT) KNOW ABOUT AFRICA
John Page, Chief Economist Africa Region, World
Bank October 31, 2006
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1. AFRICAS GROWTH RATES ARE CATCHING UP TO OTHER
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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African per capita income is now increasing in
tandem with other developing countries
Annual Change in Real per capita GDP
Forecast
2008
Source World Bank
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growth has improved since the 1980s
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2. ECONOMIC OUTCOMES ARE INCREASINGLY DIVERSE,
WHILE SOCIAL OUTCOMES ARE CONVERGING
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Africas growth experience increasingly diverse
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SOCIAL OUTCOMES ARE CONVERGING
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PRODUCTIVITY IN AFRICAS BEST PERFORMERS (AND
BEST FIRMS) EQUALS ASIAN COMPETITORS
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Africas best performers are on par with India,
Vietnam
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Factory floor costs compare well with India
China
Direct cost per male shirt
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4. AFRICA IS A HIGH COST PLACE TO INVEST BUT
LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE MAY CONSTRAIN INVESTMENT
MORE
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Africa lags other regions in the cost of doing
business
Ease of doing business rank, Simple average by
region
Data sources The World Bank Doing Business
Database, 2005 survey.
Building the private sector
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and in access to infrastructure
Data sources The World Bank WDI database, April
2006.
Building the private sector
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5. SUCCESS INCREASING PRIMARY ENROLLMENTS IS NOT
MIRRORED IN SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.
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Gross primary enrollment rate has risen sharply
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Africa lags in secondary and tertiary education
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6. MORTALITY AND LIFE EXPECTANCY HAVE REGRESSED
TO LEVELS OF PREVIOUS DECADES
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LIFE Expectancy And Mortality
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Malaria has not received adequate attention and
is a major cause of death of children
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7. INEQUALITY LIMITS THE BENEFITS OF GROWTH TO
THE POOR
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Inequality limits the benefits of growth to the
poor
The Poor as Percent of Total Population and
Inequality
Data sources The World Bank Global Poverty
Monitoring Database
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And the rural-urban divide remains dramatic
Rural-urban divide in access to improved water
source
Data sources Africa Region Household Survey
Standardized Files.
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8. INTERNATIONAL FOCUS ON AFRICA IS GROWING BUT
STILL FALLS SHORT OF 1990 AND THE GLENEAGLES
TARGETS
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International focus on Africa is growing, but
still falls short of 1990
Data sources and WBI database.
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and changes in ODA composition were significant
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Africa Development Indicators 06

• Office of the Chief Economist
• Africa Region, World Bank
• http//www.worldbank.org/afr/ce