Author : Ms.Louise Fox
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1475581033
Total Pages : 36 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (755 download)
Book Synopsis Are African Households Heterogeneous Agents? by : Ms.Louise Fox
Download or read book Are African Households Heterogeneous Agents? written by Ms.Louise Fox and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-05-06 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper reviews the evidence on how households in Sub-Saharan Africa segment along consumption, income and earning dimensions relevant for quantitative macroeconomic policy models which incorporate heterogeneity. Key findings include the importance of home-grown food in the income and consumption of house-holds well up the income distribution, the lack of formal financial inclusion for all but the richest households, and the importance of non-wage income. These stylized facts suggest that an externally-generated macroeconomic shock and the short-term policy response would mainly affect the behavior and welfare of these richer urban households, who are also more likely to have the means to cope. Middle class and poor households, especially in rural areas, should be insulated from these external shocks but vulnerable to a wide range of structural factors in the economy as well as idiosyncratic shocks.