Published on 14 December 2020
Collaborations between researchers and revenue officials can guide bold reforms with big impacts, boosting domestic revenue mobilisation to finance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are rich in resources, but wealth generated is concentrated among a small number of individuals – high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) have financial assets over US$1 million. In Africa, 166,760 HNWIs were worth US$1.6 trillion in 2018. Tax revenues make up over a third of GDP in OECD countries, but less than a fifth in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), co-funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), conducts research on making tax policies more conducive to pro-poor economic growth and good governance. This research has informed high-impact reform measures, which have improved