Sub-Saharan Africa's turnaround over the past couple of decades has been dramatic. After many years in decline, the continent's economy picked up in the mid-l 990s. Along with this macroeconomic growth, people became healthier, youngsters attended schools in much greater numbers, and the rate of extreme poverty declined from 54 percent in 1990 to 41 percent in 2015. The region had less conflict ( although simmering in some countries and notwithstanding pressing numbers of displaced persons), an expansion of political and social freedoms, and progress towards gender equality. Yet, despite these accomplishments, the challenges are daunting. Economic growth has slowed in recent years. Poverty rates in many countries are the highest in the world. And notably, the number of poor in Africa is rising due to population growth. From a global perspective, there is a shifting concentration of poverty from South Asia to Africa.Macroeconomic stability and growth are critical components for reducing poverty and improving wellbeing, but they are not sufficient. This report explores critical entry points and areas of policy focus to accelerate poverty reduction in Africa. It looks beyond macroeconomic stability and growth to ask what more could be done and where should policy makers focus to speed up poverty reduction. A pro-poor policy agenda requires growth where the poor work and live, while also addressing the many risks to which households are exposed. As such, this report takes a "jobs" lens to its task. It focuses squarely on the productivity and livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, i.e. what it will take to increase their earnings. And finally, how to finance the poverty and development agenda.
