Development and socio-economic inequalities in Africa

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Development and socio-economic inequalities in Africa
Author:	Stefanski, B.
Year:	1988
Periodical:	Africana Bulletin
Issue:	35
Pages:	115-138
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Africa
Subjects:	social inequality income distribution
Abstract:	In Africa modernization, economic growth and institutional changes were not accompanied by the diminishing of economic and social inequalities. In fact, an increase in economic disproportions and a deterioration of the low-income earners' living standards have been widely experienced. Since it is often almost impossible to distinguish the consequences from the causes of inequalities in Africa, this analysis is confined to income distribution disparities among various groups of population. It is based on S. Kuznets' hypothesis (1955), according to which income distribution inequalities are minor in traditional societies, tend to grow in the initial stage of development, and only at the advanced stages of development begin to narrow. The available data on income distribution in Africa, arranged into groups of countries according to the level of GDP per capita, corroborates the hypothesis. This paper further deals with urban-rural disparities, since 40 percent of the poorest population are formed by rural families. Bibliogr., notes, ref.