Forging a social contract for reducing poverty and inequality in Africa (Blog)

Abstract

Africa is at a crossroad. A convergence of crises – the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war along with climate change – have exacted a huge toll on the continent’s development. The pandemic pushed 62 million non-poor Africans into poverty in 2020, and 149 million non-poor people (whose consumption was 20 per cent above the poverty line) were at risk of falling into poverty in 2022. Indeed, Africa is now home to more than half of the world’s poor, and 546 million people are living in extreme poverty – yes, that’s more than half of the continent’s population.