Economic activity and progress are unevenly spread around the globe and within each nation. In other words, a person’s economic and social well-being can be affected by their place of residence.
Consider gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, which is the total worth of a nation’s economic output per person. In 2020, the GDP per capita of North America and Europe was more than ten times that of sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2019, 38% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa was living in extreme poverty. Less than 10% was estimated for the remainder of the planet.
In sub-Saharan Africa, however, there is insufficient study on the magnitude and trajectories of geographical inequality. This is owing to the lack of comparable data on national income and consumption.
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In a recent analysis, we used comparable data from demographic and health surveys to assess spatial inequality within a country, such as inequalities between South Africa’s nine provinces. We also investigated inequality in over twenty-four sub-Saharan African nations.
We investigated different facets of inequality. Our examination included both assets and access to essential services. This is an effective method for gauging the scope and patterns of inequality in sub-Saharan Africa.
The findings indicate that geographical inequality persists in a number of nations in the region. Most countries have significant levels of both geographical and national disparities. There are vast differences across countries.
Numerous negative repercussions result from a nation’s high and persistent spatial imbalance. It indicates that poverty is unresponsive to economic growth. It also has political and societal repercussions.
Important for reducing geographical inequality are public policies that encourage investment in infrastructure and basic services, as well as human capital and skill development.
First, we analyzed observations from 24 sub-Saharan African nations totaling over 1.6 million. Comparing households was based on indicators of living standards, such as ownership of durable assets such as land and cattle, and dwelling characteristics.
As a broader measure of living standards, we included information on basic utilities such as clean water and electricity. We also used these data to evaluate the evolution of inequality across time. From 1995 to 2018, we analyzed data from 27 nations including almost five million observations.
We chose the first administrative entities (regions or provinces) in each country as our spatial units.
Our research differs from other studies that analyzed spatial disparity using satellite data on nighttime illumination.
Night-lights data is useful for forecasting urban economic activity. However, it tends to underestimate spatial inequality in regions where basic economic activities such as agriculture are predominant. This comprises numerous countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
High levels of geographical and total national (interpersonal) asset inequality are revealed by our investigation. Countries differed greatly.
Mozambique, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were examples of nations with substantial regional disparities.
Regional disparity accounted for at least one-fifth of national inequality in 18 nations.
These findings indicate that in the majority of sub-Saharan African nations, eliminating spatial disparity can significantly reduce national inequality.
In the majority of sub-Saharan Africa, spatial and national inequalities in access to essential services have decreased dramatically over time. However, the degree of inequality and its evolution through time vary between nations.
In Sierra Leone, Mozambique, and Niger, spatial disparities in access to essential services are still relatively considerable. They are somewhat low in South Africa, Gabon, Malawi, and Comoros.
In the majority of countries in the region, national inequality is mostly rooted in spatial inequality. Therefore, decreasing spatial disparities can minimize economic and social disparities.
There is general agreement that three factors contribute to geographical inequality in developing nations. These include:
Initial geographical disparities, such as environmental variables, natural resources, and trade route accessibility
The concentration of expertise, economic output, and conveniences in a few locales.
Policies fiscal and political
However, there is disagreement over the most effective measures for reducing geographical disparities. To identify answers, it is vital to comprehend a country’s context. In sub-Saharan Africa, the reduction of poverty is impeded by a number of issues, including beginning economic inequality. And regional inequalities within a nation are typically linked to societal divisions such as religion and ethnicity. This results in conflict.
»Sub-Saharan Africa: Unequal access to fundamental services«