Can Africa sustain progress in cutting extreme poverty?

The global macroeconomic headwinds have moved against many sub Saharan African commodity exporters in the last few years as the terms of trade have deteriorated following a fall in world prices. That said, a sizeable number of African economies are net importers of primary commodities, so they have seen an improvement in their net trade balance.

This feature article from the June 2016 edition of IMF Finance and DevelopmentThis feature article from the June 2016 edition of IMF Finance and Development is highly recommended reading for students and teachers wanting an update on growth and development prospects for the African continent. After a decade or more of much stronger growth and - in some cases - genuine and sustainable improvement in human development outcomes, can Africa continue the progress or will the next few years be particularly difficult?

Undoubtedly, the reductions in extreme poverty have been significant although highly uneven across the continent.