IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/afjecr/339650.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financial Development and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Lemnge, Deusdedit Augustine
  • Raphael, Gwahula

Abstract

This study examines the effects of financial development on poverty reduction in 36 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period between 2000 and 2021. The study employs the Quantile Method of Moments with fixed effects (MMQR) due to its ability to address endogeneity and outliers among economic variables. Our estimated results reveal the following pattern. First, when the level of poverty rises above the median (50th quantile), the relationship between financial development and poverty remains statistically insignificant. Second, when the level of poverty falls below the median (50th quantile), the relationship between financial development and poverty bears a negative and statistically significant coefficient. Our results also show that an increase in the level of education reduces poverty, but a higher level of income inequality increases poverty. The policy implication is that financial development initiatives are more pronounced in reducing poverty if such initiatives are simultaneously accompanied by educational and income redistribution policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Lemnge, Deusdedit Augustine & Raphael, Gwahula, 2023. "Financial Development and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 11(4), September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:afjecr:339650
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.339650
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/339650/files/Lemnge.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.339650?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Appiah, Michael & Frowne, Doreen Idan & Tetteh, Derrick, 2020. "Re-examining the Nexus Between Financial Development and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Emerging Economies," Asian Journal of Applied Economics/ Applied Economics Journal, Kasetsart University, Faculty of Economics, Center for Applied Economic Research, vol. 27(2), pages 125-144, December.
    2. Zhang, Ruixin & Ben Naceur, Sami, 2019. "Financial development, inequality, and poverty: Some international evidence," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 1-16.
    3. Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Leora Klapper & Dorothe Singer & Saniya Ansar & Jake Hess, 2020. "The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and Opportunities to Expand Access to and Use of Financial Services," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 34(Supplemen), pages 2-8.
    4. Paramita Mukherjee & Sahana Roy Chowdhury & Poulomi Bhattacharya, 2021. "Does financial liberalization lead to financial development? Evidence from emerging economies," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(8), pages 1263-1287, November.
    5. Sin-Yu Ho & Bernard Njindan Iyke, 2017. "Does Financial Development Lead to Poverty Reduction in China? Time Series Evidence," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 9(1), pages 99-112.
    6. Odhiambo, Nicholas M., 2009. "Finance-growth-poverty nexus in South Africa: A dynamic causality linkage," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 320-325, March.
    7. Youssouf Kiendrebeogo & Alexandru Minea, 2016. "Financial development and poverty: evidence from the CFA Franc Zone," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(56), pages 5421-5436, December.
    8. Sylviane Guillaumont Jeanneney & Kangni Kpodar, 2011. "Financial Development and Poverty Reduction: Can There be a Benefit without a Cost?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(1), pages 143-163.
    9. Raju Jan Singh & Yifei Huang, 2015. "Financial Deepening, Property Rights, and Poverty: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Banking and Financial Economics, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 1(3), pages 130-151, May.
    10. Machado, José A.F. & Santos Silva, J.M.C., 2019. "Quantiles via moments," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 213(1), pages 145-173.
    11. Jakob Haan & Regina Pleninger & Jan-Egbert Sturm, 2022. "Does Financial Development Reduce the Poverty Gap?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 1-27, May.
    12. Appiah, Michael & Frowne, Doreen Idan & Tetteh, Derrick, 2020. "Re-examining the Nexus Between Financial Development and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Emerging Economies," Asian Journal of Applied Economics, Kasetsart University, Center for Applied Economics Research, vol. 27(2).
    13. Abdelhafidh Dhrifi, 2013. "Financial Development and Poverty: What Role for Growth and Inequality?," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 3(4), pages 119-129, October.
    14. Thouraya Triki & Ousman Gajigo, 2014. "Credit Bureaus and Registration and Access to Finance: New Evidence from 42 African Countries," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 16(2), pages 73-101.
    15. Jauch, Sebastian & Watzka, Sebastian, 2016. "Financial development and income inequality: a panel data approach," Munich Reprints in Economics 43505, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    16. Segun Thompson Bolarinwa & Abiodun Adewale Adegboye & Xuan Vinh Vo, 2021. "Is there a nonlinear relationship between financial development and poverty in Africa?," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 48(7), pages 1245-1266, January.
    17. Mr. Vassili Prokopenko & Mr. Paul Holden, 2001. "Financial Development and Poverty Alleviation: Issues and Policy Implications for Developing and Transition Countries," IMF Working Papers 2001/160, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Markus Frölich, 2008. "Parametric and Nonparametric Regression in the Presence of Endogenous Control Variables," International Statistical Review, International Statistical Institute, vol. 76(2), pages 214-227, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lemnge, Deusdedit & Raphael, Gwahula & Mutasa, Felician, 2024. "The Moderating Effect of Gender Equality in Reproductive health on the Relationship between Financial Development and Poverty Reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: A Quantile Regression Approach," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 12(2), June.
    2. de Moraes, Claudio Oliveira & Cruz, Guilherme, 2023. "What do we know about the relationship between banks and income inequality? Empirical evidence for emerging and low-income countries," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    3. Margaret R. Magwedere & Joseph Chisasa & Godfrey Marozva, 2022. "Examining the Causal Relationship between Financial Intermediation and Poverty in Selected Developing Countries," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 12(1), pages 75-84.
    4. Nasreddine Kaidi & Sami Mensi & Mehdi Ben Amor, 2019. "Financial Development, Institutional Quality and Poverty Reduction: Worldwide Evidence," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(1), pages 131-156, January.
    5. Madhu Sehrawat & A. K. Giri, 2018. "The impact of financial development, economic growth, income inequality on poverty: evidence from India," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 1585-1602, December.
    6. Nasreddine Kaidi & Sami Mensi, 2020. "Financial Development, Income Inequality, and Poverty Reduction: Democratic Versus Autocratic Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(4), pages 1358-1381, December.
    7. Clement Olalekan Olaniyi & James Temitope Dada & Nicholas Mbaya Odhiambo & Xuan Vinh Vo, 2023. "Modelling asymmetric structure in the finance-poverty nexus: empirical insights from an emerging market economy," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 453-487, February.
    8. Adugna, Hailu, 2024. "Fintech dividend: How would digital financial services impact income inequality across countries?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    9. Acheampong, Alex O. & Appiah-Otoo, Isaac & Dzator, Janet & Agyemang, Kwabena Koforobour, 2021. "Remittances, financial development and poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for post-COVID-19 macroeconomic policies," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(6), pages 1365-1387.
    10. Appiah-Otoo, Isaac & Chen, Xudong & Song, Na & Dumor, Koffi, 2022. "Financial development, institutional improvement, poverty reduction: The multiple challenges in West Africa," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(6), pages 1296-1312.
    11. Moses Umkanagwa Paul & Prof Ibrahim Baba Iya, PhD & Miftahu Idris, PhD, 2023. "Impact of Financial Development and Economic Growth on Poverty in Middle Income African Countries," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(9), pages 142-155, September.
    12. Abdelhafidh Dhrifi, 2013. "Financial Development and Poverty: What Role for Growth and Inequality?," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 3(4), pages 119-129, October.
    13. Haffejee, muhammad Ismail & Masih, Mansur, 2018. "Is the relationship between financial development and income inequality symmetric or asymmetric ? new evidence from South Africa based on NARDL," MPRA Paper 87574, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Nasreddine Kaidi & Sami Mensi, 2018. "Financial Development and Poverty Reduction: A Study of Middle-Income Countries," Working Papers 1216, Economic Research Forum, revised 05 Sep 2018.
    15. Takeshi Inoue & Shigeyuki Hamori, 2012. "How has financial deepening affected poverty reduction in India? Empirical analysis using state-level panel data," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 395-408, March.
    16. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2023. "Do unilateral trade preferences help reduce poverty in beneficiary countries?," International Journal of Economic Policy Studies, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 249-288, February.
    17. James Temitope Dada & Taiwo Akinlo, 2021. "Foreign direct investment and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: does environmental degradation matter?," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, December.
    18. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2020. "Aid for Trade flows and Poverty Reduction in Recipient-Countries," EconStor Preprints 213807, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    19. Jelson Serafim, 2021. "Financial deepening, Stock market, Inequality and Poverty: Some African Evidence," Working Papers REM 2021/0177, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    20. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2021. "Exchange rate pressure, fiscal redistribution and poverty in developing countries," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 1173-1203, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:afjecr:339650. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajer/index .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.