Growth. Building jobs and prosperity in developing countries

Putting growth at the heart of development policy

This paper examines the importance of economic growth for development. It argues that growth should be at the heart of development policy because:

it is the most powerful instrument for poverty reduction
contrary to widespread belief, it is not linked to rising inequality
it creates jobs
it drives human development, i.e. improvements in health and education

The paper proposes four lessons from the global growth experience:

there is no one right answer on how to promote economic growth
institutions are likely to be the single most important factor determining growth
timing is important
focussing on binding constraints is crucial

It then points out eight essential conditions for strong growth:

physical capital
human capital
rule of law
competitive markets
macroeconomic stability
infrastructure
openness to trade and investment
increased agricultural productivity

To support growth in developing countries donors should:

put growth at the heart of the development dialogue
formulate and implement growth strategies
work with other donors
work with the private sector
promote low-carbon growth

Related content

Document
Welfare and the depth of informality: Evidence from five African countries
E. Egger, C. Poggi, H. Rufrancos / United Nations University, 2021
This study explores the relationship between household poverty and depth of informality by proposing a new measure of informality at the household level. It is defined as the share of activities (hours worked or income earned) without social insurance for wage workers in the household.
Document
The Green Revolution and Poverty in Northern Tamil Nadu: a Brief Synthesis of Village-Level Research in the Last Half-Century
B. Harriss-White / STEPS Centre, Institute of Development Studies, 2020
Between 1972 and 2014, in Northern Tamil Nadu (NTN), India, the Green Revolution (GR) in agriculture was studied through five rounds of village-level studies (VLS).
Document
The green revolution and poverty in Northern Tamil Nadu: A brief synthesis of village-level research in the last half-century
B. Harriss-White / STEPS Centre, Institute of Development Studies, 2021
Between 1972 and 2014, in Northern Tamil Nadu (NTN), India, the Green Revolution (GR) in agriculture was studied through five rounds of village-level studies (VLS).
Document
Beyond informal social protection – personal networks of economic support in Namibia
A. Oppel / Institute of Development Studies UK, 2020
This paper poses a different lens on informal social protection (ISP). ISP is generally understood as practices of livelihood support among individuals. While studies have explored the social dynamics of such, they rarely do so beyond the conceptual space of informalities and poverty.
Document
Impact lessons: Engaging research with global movements
K. Roelen, K. Shephard / Impact Initiative, 2020
This working paper highlights the key points and emerging policy themes arising from a virtual event hosted by the Global Coalition Against Child Poverty (GCACP) and the Impact Initiative in May 2020. The event concentrated on one impact pathway: engagement with global advocacy movements.

Eldis

Growth. Building jobs and prosperity in developing countries

Growth. Building jobs and prosperity in developing countries

Publisher

Power to the people: pro-poor electricity provision

Site

About

Engage

You are here

Growth. Building jobs and prosperity in developing countries

Growth. Building jobs and prosperity in developing countries

Publisher

Focus themes

Related website content

Related content