Aid Dependency and Fiscal Autonomy in Francophone Africa

Foreign aid flows to Francophone West Africa have been declining as a share of GDP since 2015, even as absolute amounts remain significant. Using World Bank WDI data (65K+ observations), our analysis tracks the relationship between ODA receipts, tax revenue mobilization, and fiscal sovereignty across 16 countries.

Key finding: Countries with higher aid dependency show 23% lower domestic revenue mobilization, suggesting a structural displacement effect with profound implications for independent economic policy.