## Intergenerational Social Mobility in Africa Since 1920

_IMF Working Papers, August 6, 2021_

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Rasmané Ouedraogo, Nicolas Syrichas
- Published: August 6, 2021
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513593807.001

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### Summary
- The COVID-19 crisis has a severe impact on education and employment and exposed the many social inequities that make some populations more vulnerable to shocks.
- Using a large harmonized dataset of more than 72 million individuals, the study examines socioeconomic status mobility across generations, measured by educational and occupational attainment.
- The analysis uncovers substantial geographical variations in the degree of upward/downward educational and occupational mobility across and within African countries, and the gender and rural/urban divide.
- The study explores determinants of social mobility in the African region and identifies several strong predictors.

### Key findings: mobility patterns
- Substantial geographical variations in upward/downward educational mobility across and within African countries.
- Substantial geographical variations in upward/downward occupational mobility across and within African countries.
- Pronounced gender divide in social mobility.
- Pronounced rural/urban divide in social mobility.
- Educational mobility is a driver of occupational mobility.

### Key findings: determinants and predictors
- Social mobility in Africa can be partly explained by observable individual characteristics (gender, marital status, age, etc.).
- The following country-level factors are identified as strong predictors of social mobility in Africa:
  - The quality of institutions
  - The level of public spending on education
  - Social protection coverage
  - Natural resource endowments
  - Countries' fragility

### Policy-relevant implications (as reported)
- Strengthening the quality of institutions may support higher social mobility.
- Increasing public spending on education is associated with higher social mobility.
- Expanding social protection coverage is associated with higher social mobility.
- Natural resource endowments and countries' fragility are important contextual factors shaping social mobility outcomes.
- Because educational mobility drives occupational mobility, policies that improve access to and quality of education can have downstream effects on occupational outcomes.

*IMF Working Paper: "Intergenerational Social Mobility in Africa Since 1920", Rasmané Ouedraogo and Nicolas Syrichas, Working Paper No. 2021/215.*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/08/06/intergenerational-social-mobility-in-africa-since-1920-463400_