Africa

Abstract

This chapter addresses the issue of social protection and welfare in Africa. Africa is a highly diversified continent characterized by different socio-economic performances. It comprises the more developed countries of North Africa, as well as the less developed sub-region of Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the existence of several problems and challenges, this part of the world remains a poorly researched area in comparative welfare state research. The problems that the populations of Africa face range from the lack of access to basic social protection and services (including inefficient labour markets), as existent in more advanced Western economies, to chronic malnutrition, persistent exposure to environmental challenges (such as drought, famine and other environmental hazards) and to systemic internal conflicts and wars. These socio-economic and human development challenges have often led to riots and massive migrations, as the Arab Spring or the humanitarian crisis of the Horn of Africa in 2011 have powerfully shown.

Keywords: Africa, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Arab Spring, welfare regimes, human development, socio-economics

JEL Classification: I31, I38, O11, O53, P16,P51, D61, D72, O1