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Publication - Miscellaneous
Little Book of Growth Ideas
Between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the world living in extreme poverty more than halved as economic growth lifted millions of people out of poverty. Building on this progress, the UN Global Goals ambitiously aim to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030. The International Growth Centre (IGC) believes that inclusive economic growth is the only route to achieving...
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Publication - Project Report
Exploring the determinants of interest rate spreads in the Uganda banking system
Interest spreads in Uganda have been persistently high over the last two decades. This paper aims to complement the literature by investigating the determinants of interest rate spreads in Uganda, following the period after the adoption of Inflation Targeting, using three different approaches: First, a cross country comparison with regional peers; Second, a...
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Publication - Working Paper
Deepening decentralisation in Zambia: Identifying political economy constraints to reform
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Publication - Growth Brief
Do social assistance programmes reach the poor? Micro-evidence from 123 countries
Governments around the world rely on social assistance to reduce poverty, but the poorest are left behind. There has been a sharp reduction in global poverty over the past 25 years, from 36% in 1990 to 10% in 2015. Yet, 736 million people continue to live on less than USD 1.90 a day (World Bank, 2015), most of them in middle-income countries. In recent years, the largest...
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Publication - Working Paper
Tracking the economic consequences of COVID-19
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Publication - Policy Brief
How COVID-19 has affected Lagos traders: Findings from high frequency phone surveys
Traders had virtually zero revenue during Lagos State’s month-long lockdown. Since Lagos partially re-opened on 4 May 2020, most traders have returned to their markets. Sales have rebounded more than employment. Compliance with public health measures has been high. Traders closed their shops during the lockdown. Since the lockdown was eased, market regulations...
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Publication - Policy Brief
Water, sanitation, and hygiene policy in the time of COVID-19
Investing in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is a no-regret policy for developing countries in the fight against COVID-19. According to numerous studies, for every $1 invested, the return in terms of healthcare savings, reduced time off work, and increased national productivity is between $2-4 for water and $5-9 for sanitation. This is particularly true for...
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Publication - Policy Brief
Protecting lives and livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic by shielding elderly populations
Blanket lockdowns have proven to be unsustainable, particularly in developing countries. This brief examines how age-targeted policy measures could keep economies largely open while shielding the elderly and others with underlying health conditions. We find that in the presence of large informal sectors, limited fiscal space, and large numbers of households living...
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Publication - Policy Brief
Remittances in the time of COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities for growth in developing countries
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented restrictions on travel, trade, and economic activity, triggering a global economic crisis. Remittances to developing countries are falling sharply as a result. Migrant workers and their families, many dependent on the remittance flows sent from abroad, are expected to suffer acutely. This brief underscores the importance...
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Publication - Policy Brief
R&D, Manufacturing and Delivery of Vaccines: A Global Deal in the Fight Against COVID-19
Given the massive uncertainty surrounding how COVID-19 will play out in terms of health outcomes as well as economic and social outcomes, policymaking is as hard as it can possibly be. Measures that are sensible at the time they are taken may prove highly costly and ineffective in retrospect. No-regret policies are those that are worth doing now regardless of which...
Publication - Miscellaneous
Little Book of Growth Ideas
Between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the world living in extreme poverty more than halved as economic growth lifted millions of people out of poverty. Building on this progress, the UN Global Goals ambitiously aim to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030. The International Growth Centre (IGC) believes that inclusive economic growth is the only route to achieving...