This study examines the effect of foreign aid on extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the period 1981–2013. The study uses recent dynamic panel estimation techniques, including those methods which deal with endogeneity by controlling for simultaneity and unobserved heterogeneity. The main findings of the study are summarized as follows: firstly, foreign aid does have a statistically significant poverty reduction effect in SSA. Secondly, the disaggregation of aid by source and type shows that total ODA, grants and multilateral aid have poverty reduction effects. Thirdly, democracy enhances the effectiveness of foreign aid in reducing poverty. Lastly, GDP per capita and globalization reduce extreme poverty, while inequality has a detrimental effect on the fight against poverty. This study confirms that the volume of aid matters as well as how it is allocated. The policy implications of these findings are that development partners should continue to focus on poverty reduction as the main objective for ODA. Further, aid allocation should be focused on channels which have more poverty-reduction effects, such as GDP per capita and democracy. Finally, aid recipient countries should come-up with income distributional policies that allow the benefits of growth to accrue to many people, thereby lifting the majority out of extreme poverty.

本研究考察了 1981 年至 2013 年期间外援对撒哈拉以南非洲 (SSA) 赤贫的影响。该研究使用了最新的动态面板估计技术，包括通过控制同时性和未观察到的异质性来处理内生性的方法。研究的主要发现总结如下：第一，对外援助确实在SSA中具有显着的减贫效果。其次，按来源和类型对援助进行分解表明，官方发展援助总额、赠款和多边援助具有减贫效果。第三，民主提高了外援减贫效果。最后，人均国内生产总值和全球化减少了极端贫困，而不平等则对消除贫困产生不利影响。这项研究证实，援助的数量和分配方式都很重要。这些调查结果的政策含义是，发展伙伴应继续将减贫作为官方发展援助的主要目标。此外，援助分配应侧重于具有更多减贫效果的渠道，例如人均GDP和民主。最后，受援国应制定收入分配政策，让许多人受益于增长，从而使大多数人摆脱极端贫困。比如人均GDP和民主。最后，受援国应制定收入分配政策，让许多人受益于增长，从而使大多数人摆脱极端贫困。比如人均GDP和民主。最后，受援国应制定收入分配政策，让许多人受益于增长，从而使大多数人摆脱极端贫困。