Assessing Inequality and Its Translation on Economic Growth and Human Development in West Africa.

This article investigates the impact of income inequality, measured by the GINI coefficient, on economic growth and human development (HD) in West Africa using panel data from 10 countries between 2000 and 2014. Employing fixed and random effects regression models, the study finds that inequality’s effect on both economic growth and HD is nonlinear and contingent on factors such as life expectancy, rural population share, and government health expenditure. Specifically, in West African countries with an optimal rate of inequality (ORI), inequality tends to negatively affect economic growth and HD unless mitigated by improvements in health and reductions in rural population, whereas in non-ORI countries with higher inequality, inequality appears to positively influence economic growth and HD. The findings highlight that inequality itself is not inherently detrimental but its outcomes depend on socio-economic and policy contexts, underscoring the need for deliberate measures to manage inequality’s effects in the region.