Africa's emerging middle-class

Sub-Saharan Africa currently is facing a range of demographic and socioeconomic shifts that hold important implications for both the region’s economic and political development. One of these shifts has been the emergence of a sizeable and dynamic middle-class over the last decade. While this trend is attracting the attention of policy makers and the private sector, there is little research on the size, drivers, and preferences of Africa’s middle-class.

This project will therefore focus on whether, and in what ways, Africa’s middle-class represents a positive force not only for growth, poverty reduction, and socioeconomic equality but also for greater democratization within the region. In addressing these issues, attention will be given to cross-country variations as a result of disparate political regimes and economic resource bases.

Team

Focal point: Finn Tarp

Assistant: Lisa Winkler

Communications: Annett Victorero

17 articles, publications, projects, experts...

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    Professor Tarp has four decades of experience in academic and applied development economics research and teaching. His field experience covers more than two decades of in-country work in 35 countries across Africa and the developing world more...

    In the media
    Study spurs media debate over Africa’s middle class

    The middle-class in the Global South gained growing attention since the turn of the century, including some lower income groups in resource-rich African economies. A UNU-WIDER study has been widely referred in media articles enriching the debate over...

    Journal Article
    The Middle Class and Democratic Consolidation in Zambia

    Part of Journal Special Issue The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Journal Article
    South Africa's Emerging Black Middle Class

    Part of Journal Special Issue The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Journal Article
    “No Bourgeoisie, No Democracy”? The Political Attitudes of the Kenyan Middle Class

    Part of Journal Special Issue The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Journal Article
    The Rise of a Middle Class in East and Southern Africa

    Part of Journal Special Issue The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Journal Article
    Varieties of Capitalists? The Middle–Class, Private Sector and Economic Outcomes in Africa

    Part of Journal Special Issue The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Journal Article
    Matching Concepts With Measurement

    Part of Journal Special Issue The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Journal Article
    The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Part of Journal Special Issue The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    Journal Special Issue
    The Political Economy of Africa's Emergent Middle Class

    This special issue introduction provides a historical perspective in order to contextualize the political economy of Africa’s emergent middle class. In doing so, three overarching research questions are discussed to better understand the middle class...

    Working Paper
    South Africa’s Emerging Black Middle Class

    South Africa has seen a significant increase in the size of the black middle class in the post-apartheid period, but the attitudinal consequences of indicators of the middle class, as of 2011, are inconsistent and modest in size. While members of the...

    Working Paper
    The Rise of a Middle Class in East and Southern Africa

    We examine the implications of the rise of a middle class in East and Southern Africa for food consumption patterns and the food system. A unique classification of food items shows that highly processed food has one-third of the purchased food market...

    Working Paper
    Varieties of Capitalists?

    Political scientists have generally seen two key features of African political economies—a relatively small or absent middle class, and a middle class that is unusually embedded in the state—as key explanations of the troubled political and economic...

    Working Paper
    Does the African Middle Class Defend Democracy?

    Barrington Moore’s famous line ‘no bourgeoisie, no democracy’ is one of the most quoted claims in political science. But has the rise of the African middle class promoted democratic consolidation? This paper uses the case of Kenya to investigate the...

    Panel discussion
    Economic and political dynamics of Africa's emerging middle class

    Economic and political dynamics of Africa's emerging middle class Robust economic growth in much of sub-Saharan Africa over the last decade is largely believed to have coincided with an expanding middle class. According to some estimates, the region...

    Mon, 23 June 2014 – Thu, 26 June 2014
    Bonn, Germany
    Past event
    Blog
    Africa’s Emerging Middle Class: What are the Implications for Development and Democracy?
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    11 December 2013 Danielle Resnick Economic transformation and social mobility are currently popular themes in the development community. Both themes...

    Displaying 16 of 17 results

    Context

    Main subject

    Theme: Past, 2012-13

    Keywords