The Long-Term Effects of Africa's Slave Trades^*

TLDR

Africa’s persistent underdevelopment may be partly attributable to its historical slave trades. The study estimates the number of slaves exported from each African country by analyzing shipping records and historical documents. The analysis employs these estimates and instrumental variable techniques to test for a causal link between slave exports and present economic performance. Results reveal a robust negative association, indicating that higher slave exports are linked to poorer current economic outcomes, confirming an adverse effect of the slave trades on development.

Abstract

Can part of Africa's current underdevelopment be explained by its slave trades? To explore this question, I use data from shipping records and historical documents reporting slave ethnicities to construct estimates of the number of slaves exported from each country during Africa's slave trades. I find a robust negative relationship between the number of slaves exported from a country and current economic performance. To better understand if the relationship is causal, I examine the historical evidence on selection into the slave trades and use instrumental variables. Together the evidence suggests that the slave trades had an adverse effect on economic development.