IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v10y2023i1d10.1057_s41599-023-01810-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financial development and income inequality in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Victoria I. Okafor

    (Covenant University
    Covenant University)

  • Isaiah O. Olurinola

    (Covenant University
    Anchor University)

  • Ebenezer Bowale

    (Covenant University
    Covenant University)

  • Romanus Osabohien

    (Covenant University
    Covenant University)

Abstract

Across the globe, a rise in income inequality has been experienced for the last two decades, particularly in developing countries. This problem of income inequality poses a challenge to Africa’s ability to attain the United Nations (UN) Sustainment Development Goals (SDGs) of reduced inequalities (SDG-10). Against this backdrop, there is a need to harness the potential of financial development to reduce income inequality in Africa. Therefore, this study empirically examines how financial development affects income inequality in Africa. Financial development dimensions, access, depth, efficiency, and stability were considered to achieve the study’s objective. The study applied the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) to analyse data and the findings showed that each dimension of financial development had a varying impact on income inequality. Access, stability and efficiency components of financial development reduce income inequality, while the depth dimension of financial development exacerbates income inequality in Africa. Therefore, the study recommends that policymakers should not neglect other dimensions of finance in facilitating economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria I. Okafor & Isaiah O. Olurinola & Ebenezer Bowale & Romanus Osabohien, 2023. "Financial development and income inequality in Africa," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01810-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01810-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-01810-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-023-01810-y?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lahoti Rahul & Jayadev Arjun & Reddy Sanjay, 2016. "The Global Consumption and Income Project (GCIP): An Overview," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 7(1), pages 61-108, June.
    2. de Haan, Jakob & Sturm, Jan-Egbert, 2017. "Finance and income inequality: A review and new evidence," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 171-195.
    3. Oded Galor & Omer Moav, 2004. "From Physical to Human Capital Accumulation: Inequality and the Process of Development," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 71(4), pages 1001-1026.
    4. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    5. Greenwood, Jeremy & Jovanovic, Boyan, 1990. "Financial Development, Growth, and the Distribution of Income," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 1076-1107, October.
    6. Meniago, Christelle & Asongu, Simplice A., 2018. "Revisiting the finance-inequality nexus in a panel of African countries," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 399-419.
    7. Muhammad Shahbaz & Nanthakumar Loganathan & Aviral Tiwari & Reza Sherafatian-Jahromi, 2015. "Financial Development and Income Inequality: Is There Any Financial Kuznets Curve in Iran?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(2), pages 357-382, November.
    8. Altunbaş, Yener & Thornton, John, 2019. "The impact of financial development on income inequality: A quantile regression approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 51-56.
    9. Gimet, Céline & Lagoarde-Segot, Thomas, 2011. "A closer look at financial development and income distribution," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1698-1713, July.
    10. Rizwan Mushtaq & Catherine Bruneau, 2019. "Microfinance, financial inclusion and ICT: Implications for poverty and inequality," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-03452826, HAL.
    11. repec:idn:jimfjn:v:5:y:2019:i:2h:p:1-20 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Rizwan Mushtaq & Catherine Bruneau, 2019. "Microfinance, financial inclusion and ICT: Implications for poverty and inequality," Post-Print hal-03452826, HAL.
    13. Ngozi Adeleye & Evans Osabuohien & Ebenezer Bowale, 2017. "The Role of Institutions in the Finance-Inequality Nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Contextual Economics (JCE) – Schmollers Jahrbuch, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 137(1-2), pages 173-192.
    14. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    15. Banerjee, Abhijit V & Newman, Andrew F, 1993. "Occupational Choice and the Process of Development," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(2), pages 274-298, April.
    16. Chima M. Menyelim & Abiola A. Babajide & Alexander E. Omankhanlen & Benjamin I. Ehikioya, 2021. "Financial Inclusion, Income Inequality and Sustainable Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan African Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, February.
    17. Armand Fouejieu & Ratna Sahay & Martin Cihak & Shiyuan Chen, 2020. "Financial inclusion and inequality: A cross-country analysis," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(8), pages 1018-1048, November.
    18. Mehmet Akif Destek & Avik Sinha & Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie, 2020. "The relationship between financial development and income inequality in Turkey," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    19. Emara, Noha & El Said, Ayah, 2021. "Financial inclusion and economic growth: The role of governance in selected MENA countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 34-54.
    20. Pengfei Wang & Yi Wen & Zhiwei Xu, 2018. "Financial Development and Long-Run Volatility Trends," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 28, pages 221-251, April.
    21. Romanus Osabohien & Oluwatoyin Matthew & Precious Ohalete & Evans Osabuohien, 2020. "Population–Poverty–Inequality Nexus and Social Protection in Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(2), pages 575-598, September.
    22. Gründler, Klaus & Scheuermeyer, Philipp, 2018. "Growth effects of inequality and redistribution: What are the transmission channels?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 293-313.
    23. Pengfei Wang & Yi Wen & Zhiwei Xu, 2018. "Financial Development and Long-Run Volatility Trends," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 28, pages 221-251, April.
    24. Victoria Okafor & Ebenezer Bowale & Ademola Onabote & Adedeji Afolabi & Jeremiah Ejemeyovwi, 2021. "Financial Deepening and Economic Growth in Nigeria: A Johannsen and Error Correction Model Techniques," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 12(2), pages 263-273, April.
    25. Chiu, Yi-Bin & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2019. "Financial development, income inequality, and country risk," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 1-18.
    26. Oded Galor & Joseph Zeira, 1993. "Income Distribution and Macroeconomics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(1), pages 35-52.
    27. Naoyuki Yoshino & Peter J. Morgan, 2018. "Financial Inclusion, Financial Stability And Income Inequality: Introduction," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 63(01), pages 1-7, March.
    28. World Bank, 2018. "The Little Data Book on Financial Inclusion 2018," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 29654.
    29. Gerhard Kling & Vanesa Pesqué-Cela & Lihui Tian & Deming Luo, 2022. "A theory of financial inclusion and income inequality," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 137-157, January.
    30. Hui-Boon Tan & Siong-Hook Law, 2012. "Nonlinear dynamics of the finance-inequality nexus in developing countries," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 10(4), pages 551-563, December.
    31. Abiola A. Babajide & Folasade B. Adegboye & Alexander E. Omankhanlen, 2015. "Financial Inclusion and Economic Growth in Nigeria," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 5(3), pages 629-637.
    32. 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.
    33. Hsieh, Joyce & Chen, Ting-Cih & Lin, Shu-Chin, 2019. "Financial structure, bank competition and income inequality," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 450-466.
    34. Bosede Ngozi Adeleye, 2020. "Unbundling interest rate and bank credit nexus on income inequality: structural break analysis from Nigeria," Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(1), pages 63-78, July.
    35. Kim, Dong-Hyeon & Lin, Shu-Chin, 2011. "Nonlinearity in the financial developmentâincome inequality nexus," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 310-325, September.
    36. Hasan, Iftekhar & Horvath, Roman & Mares, Jan, 2020. "Finance and wealth inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    37. Oluwatoyin Matthew & Anthonia Adeniji & Romanus Osabohien & Tomike Olawande & Tolulope Atolagbe, 2020. "Gender Inequality, Maternal Mortality and Inclusive Growth in Nigeria," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(3), pages 763-780, February.
    38. Jung, Samuel Moon & Vijverberg, Chu-Ping C., 2019. "Financial development and income inequality in China – A spatial data analysis," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 295-320.
    39. Seven, Unal & Coskun, Yener, 2016. "Does financial development reduce income inequality and poverty? Evidence from emerging countries," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 34-63.
    40. Johansson, Anders C. & Wang, Xun, 2014. "Financial sector policies and income inequality," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 367-378.
    41. Rajan, Raghuram G. & Zingales, Luigi, 2003. "The great reversals: the politics of financial development in the twentieth century," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 5-50, July.
    42. Neaime, Simon & Gaysset, Isabelle, 2018. "Financial inclusion and stability in MENA: Evidence from poverty and inequality," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 230-237.
    43. Raghuram G. Rajan, 2010. "Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9111.
    44. Effiong, Ekpeno, 2015. "Financial Development, Institutions and Economic Growth: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 66085, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    45. Inekwe, John Nkwoma & Jin, Yi & Valenzuela, Maria Rebecca, 2018. "A new approach to financial integration and market income inequality," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 134-147.
    46. Adams, Samuel & Klobodu, Edem Kwame Mensah, 2017. "Capital flows and the distribution of income in sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 169-178.
    47. Mookerjee, Rajen & Kalipioni, Paul, 2010. "Availability of financial services and income inequality: The evidence from many countries," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 404-408, December.
    48. Bumann, Silke & Lensink, Robert, 2016. "Capital account liberalization and income inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 143-162.
    49. D’Onofrio, Alexandra & Minetti, Raoul & Murro, Pierluigi, 2019. "Banking development, socioeconomic structure and income inequality," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 428-451.
    50. Demirguc-Kunt,Asli & Klapper,Leora & Singer,Dorothe, 2017. "Financial inclusion and inclusive growth : a review of recent empirical evidence," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8040, The World Bank.
    51. Kam, Oi-Yan & Tse, Chin-Bun, 2020. "The trend of foreign direct investment movement: Did unintended nation brand of legal-families play an instrumental role?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 745-762.
    52. Kokas, Deeksha & El Lahga, Abdel Rahmen & Lopez-Acevedo, Gladys, 2021. "Poverty and Inequality in Tunisia: Recent Trends," IZA Discussion Papers 14597, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    53. Mushtaq, Rizwan & Bruneau, Catherine, 2019. "Microfinance, financial inclusion and ICT: Implications for poverty and inequality," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    54. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    55. Ouyang, Yaofu & Li, Peng, 2018. "On the nexus of financial development, economic growth, and energy consumption in China: New perspective from a GMM panel VAR approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 238-252.
    56. Md Abdullah Omar & Kazuo Inaba, 2020. "Does financial inclusion reduce poverty and income inequality in developing countries? A panel data analysis," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-25, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dauda A. Busari & Demilade Kayode & Olawale Y. Olonade & Tayo O. George, 2024. "Impacts of border closure policy on entrepreneurial activities in selected main markets in Ibadan, Southwest, Nigeria," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Armand Fréjuis Akpa & Dado Fabrice Degbedji & Augustin Foster Chabossou, 2024. "Assessing the effect of financial inclusion on human capital in West Africa: an heterogeneous analysis based on income level," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Romanus Osabohien & Amar Hisham Jaaffar & Armand Fréjuis Akpa & Mihajlo Jakovljevic, 2024. "Mobile money, medical cost anxiety and welfare of individuals within the reproductive age in Malaysia," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Abdullah Almounsor & Sami Mensi, 2024. "The Relationship Between Financial Development, Institutions Quality, and Income Inequality from the Sub-Saharan Africa Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 14307-14338, September.

    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. Baiardi, Donatella & Morana, Claudio, 2018. "Financial development and income distribution inequality in the euro area," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 40-55.
    2. Roya Taherifar & Mark J. Holmes & Gazi M. Hassan, 2023. "Does economic openness matter in the impact of financial development on income inequality?," Working Papers in Economics 23/04, University of Waikato.
    3. Li, Xiang & Su, Dan, 2020. "Capital account liberalisation does worsen income inequality," IWH Discussion Papers 7/2020, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    4. Dong-Hyeon Kim & Joyce Hsieh & Shu-Chin Lin, 2021. "Financial liberalization, political institutions, and income inequality," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 1245-1281, March.
    5. Dirk Bezemer & Anna Samarina, 2019. "Debt shift, financial development and income inequality," DNB Working Papers 646, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    6. Brei, Michael & Ferri, Giovanni & Gambacorta, Leonardo, 2023. "Financial structure and income inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    7. Gislain Stéphane Gandjon Fankem & Marthe Dorelle Melingui, 2021. "Le développement financier affecte‐t‐il l'inégalité de revenus en Afrique subsaharienne?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 33(4), pages 620-633, December.
    8. Tomás Gómez Rodríguez & Humberto Ríos Bolívar & Adriana Zambrano Reyes, 2022. "Desigualdad del ingreso y desarrollo del sistema financiero un enfoque multidimensional," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 17(1), pages 1-23, Enero - M.
    9. Meniago, Christelle & Asongu, Simplice A., 2018. "Revisiting the finance-inequality nexus in a panel of African countries," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 399-419.
    10. Xiang Li & Dan Su, 2021. "Does Capital Account Liberalization Affect Income Inequality?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(2), pages 377-410, April.
    11. Chiu, Yi-Bin & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2019. "Financial development, income inequality, and country risk," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 1-18.
    12. Md Jamil, Abd Rahim & Law, Siong Hook & Khair-Afham, M.S. & Trinugroho, Irwan, 2024. "Financial inclusion and income inequality in developing countries: The role of aging populations," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(PA).
    13. Abdullah Almounsor & Sami Mensi, 2024. "The Relationship Between Financial Development, Institutions Quality, and Income Inequality from the Sub-Saharan Africa Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 14307-14338, September.
    14. Carolyn Chisadza & Mduduzi Biyase, 2023. "Financial Development and Income Inequality: Evidence From Advanced, Emerging and Developing Economies," Annals of Financial Economics (AFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(01), pages 1-27, March.
    15. Passant M. B. Selim & Hasan Güngör, 2021. "Inequality and financial development: Evidence from selected MENA region countries," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 2732-2747, April.
    16. Mohamed Chakroun, 2020. "Threshold effects in the relationship between financial development and income inequality," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(3), pages 365-387, July.
    17. Nandelenga, Martin Wafula & Oduor, Jacob, 2020. "Asymmetric analysis of finance - Inequality nexus: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    18. Boukraine, Wissem, 2020. "The finance-inequality nexus in the BRICS countries: evidence from an ARDL bound testing approach," MPRA Paper 101976, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Cong Minh Huynh & Nam Hoai Tran, 2023. "Financial development, income inequality, and institutional quality: A multi-dimensional analysis," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 2242128-224, June.
    20. 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).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01810-y. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    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.