Saving and borrowing in rural Uganda
Saving and borrowing in rural Uganda
Sub-Saharan Africa has languished in recent decades - a period in which countries elsewhere in the world (especially in East and Southeast Asia) have made substantial progress in terms of economic and human development. It is widely recognised that high levels of savings, together with investment in physical and human capital, have been among a number of key factors that have led to such success. Uganda is an economy in sub-Saharan Africa that has shown some promise of success in the 1990s. It has enjoyed macroeconomic stability and a rapid rate of economic growth. However, in some other respects, the country retains features that give cause for concern for future development. Poverty in the rural areas remains widespread, and the domestic savings rate is amongst the lowest in the world.
Drawing on the results of a survey carried out in 1997, this paper explores the reasons underlying the persistence of poverty in rural Uganda, and investigates aspects of saving and borrowing behaviour in households. The potential role of microcredit arrangements in alleviating poverty (and in generating a flow of savings) is examined, and the conditions that may favour success in the operation of microcredit schemes are evaluated.
Uganda, sub-Saharan Africa, poverty, structural adjustment, savings, financial markets
University of Southampton
Musinguzi, Polycarp
c2de4d85-5441-4004-b816-1e12488af509
Smith, Peter
7085f0ad-c538-4208-80f4-e9b3fd36b365
2000
Musinguzi, Polycarp
c2de4d85-5441-4004-b816-1e12488af509
Smith, Peter
7085f0ad-c538-4208-80f4-e9b3fd36b365
Musinguzi, Polycarp and Smith, Peter
(2000)
Saving and borrowing in rural Uganda
(Discussion Papers in Economics and Econometrics, 16)
Southampton, UK.
University of Southampton
20pp.
Record type:
Monograph
(Discussion Paper)
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa has languished in recent decades - a period in which countries elsewhere in the world (especially in East and Southeast Asia) have made substantial progress in terms of economic and human development. It is widely recognised that high levels of savings, together with investment in physical and human capital, have been among a number of key factors that have led to such success. Uganda is an economy in sub-Saharan Africa that has shown some promise of success in the 1990s. It has enjoyed macroeconomic stability and a rapid rate of economic growth. However, in some other respects, the country retains features that give cause for concern for future development. Poverty in the rural areas remains widespread, and the domestic savings rate is amongst the lowest in the world.
Drawing on the results of a survey carried out in 1997, this paper explores the reasons underlying the persistence of poverty in rural Uganda, and investigates aspects of saving and borrowing behaviour in households. The potential role of microcredit arrangements in alleviating poverty (and in generating a flow of savings) is examined, and the conditions that may favour success in the operation of microcredit schemes are evaluated.
More information
Published date: 2000
Additional Information:
JEL classification: O16
Keywords:
Uganda, sub-Saharan Africa, poverty, structural adjustment, savings, financial markets
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 33117
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/33117
PURE UUID: 4da4e29d-f5d1-4ccf-982c-9d0604678e0d
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 19 Jul 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 07:42
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Polycarp Musinguzi
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics