Poverty, Growth, and Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa : Did the Walk Match the Talk under the PRSP Approach?

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have shownstrong signs of growth resilience in the aftermath of the recent global crisis. Yet, thispaper finds evidence that growth has more than proportionately benefited the top quintileduring PRSP implementation. It finds that PRSP implementation has neither reducedpoverty headcount nor raised the income share of the poorest quintile in Sub-SaharanAfrica. While countries in other regions have been more successful in reducing povertyand increasing the income share of the poor, there is no conclusive evidence that PRSPimplementation has played a role in shaping these outcomes.