The Commitment to Development Index for Africa: How Much do the Richest Countries Help the Poorest Continent?

Publication Type:

Miscellaneous

Authors:

David Roodman

Source:

CGD Brief, Center for Global Development, Washington DC (2008)

Abstract:

When it comes to helping Africa, rich countries are most often compared on how much foreign aid they give as a share of GDP. But the rich world is connected to Africa in many ways?not just through aid, but through trade, investment, migration, the environment, military affairs, and technologies. Think of the extraordinary spread of vaccines and cell phones on the continent and their transformative impact on the lives of the poor. Think of the African immigrants who work hard inside Western Europe and send billions of euros home to their families. Think of the Ghanaian factories that employ hundreds of women making clothes for sale in Walmart. And think of the foreign troops keeping a precious and precarious peace on the streets of Monrovia, Liberia.