COLONIAL LEGACIES AND MODERN-DAY AFRICA: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Abstract

Today, Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest proportion of people living beneath the poverty line. Colonization has long been suspected as a culprit in the slow growth that has led to this poverty. This thesis tests the effects of colonization on subsequent growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. In a sample of 30 ex-colonies from 1960 to 2010, we find that although initially, colonization had effects on economic outcomes that were differential for British and French former colonies, this effect has lessened or faded away over time. Finally, we find that the economic effects on former-colonies resulting from violent independence movements are lessening with each year.