Poverty and Income Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Structural Constraints and Pathways to Inclusive and Sustainable Development

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounts for the largest share of the global extreme poor despite experiencing sustained periods of economic growth over the past two decades. At the same time, income inequality remains persistently high in most parts of the region, raising critical concerns about the inclusiveness and sustainability of prevailing development trajectories. This research argues that poverty persistence in SSA cannot be explained by insufficient economic growth alone. Rather, income inequality acts as a structural constraint that diminishes the poverty elasticity of growth, while the quality of institutions determines whether economic expansion translates into widespread welfare benefits. This study creates an integrated analytical framework that connects growth dynamics, income distribution, governance capacity, and environmental vulnerability by drawing on development economics, political economy, structural transformation theory, and sustainability scholarship. Through a structured critical synthesis of empirical evidence and theoretical contributions, the study reveals that durable poverty reduction in SSA requires coordinated reforms in employment-intensive transformation, fiscal redistribution, institutional accountability, human capital development, and climate resilience. By repositioning inequality as a mediating mechanism within the growth–poverty nexus, this research contributes to contemporary debates on inclusive development and advances policy-relevant insights aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.