Is Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa Different?

Adam Storeygard, Tufts University
Vernon Henderson, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Mark Roberts, World Bank Group

Recent work has argued that urbanization is different in post-independence Sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere in the developing world, with implications for African economic growth overall. While African countries are more urbanized than other countries at comparable levels of income, the relevant GDP data are of very low quality. From the perspective of better-measured effective technology, African urbanization matches global patterns overall, though sectoral differences remain. Agricultural price increases deter African urbanization, while promoting urbanization elsewhere, perhaps because agricultural surpluses are more often invested in urban production elsewhere. Finally, historical indicators of good institutions promote urbanization both inside and outside Africa.