First published 2014
Morten Jerven challenges conventional wisdom about African economic performance by analyzing growth patterns in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia from 1965 to 1995. He argues that economists have focused too heavily on average growth rates while ignoring significant progress these countries made during the 1960s and 1970s. Jerven demonstrates that economic decline in the 1980s was exaggerated because official statistics missed many economic activities, while the apparent recovery in the 1990s reflected improved data collection rather than genuine growth. His analysis reveals that GDP measurements captured incomplete pictures of these economies throughout the period. The book disputes the mainstream view that orthodox economic policies drive growth, suggesting instead that external economic conditions played larger roles than policymakers acknowledged. Jerven offers readers a framework for understanding how measurement problems distort our perception of African economic development.
Genres: history, politics, economics, non-fiction, africa, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Setting: Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia
Period: 1965-1995
224 pages · Kindle Edition · OUP Oxford