Improving the coverage of African countries in GTAP Data Base to better support Africa’s development

Abstract

Over the past five years, the Global Trade Assistance and Protection (GTAP) Data Base has been expanded to include 16 additional individual African countries, while datasets for 10 existing African countries have been updated. Most of these efforts were supported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with experts from African National Statistical Offices and the Center for Global Trade Analysis (CGTA), alongside contributions from other partner institutions. As a result, the number of African countries represented individually in the GTAP Data Base has reached 42, enabling researchers and policymakers to conduct more detailed and policy-relevant analysis on priority issues facing African economies. This article documents the progress achieved so far and outlines next steps to address remaining data gaps for African countries in the GTAP Data Base. It also highlights key experiences, lessons learned, and challenges encountered during the process. By linking the work of statisticians and economists, the paper provides valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who rely on the GTAP Data Base for empirical analysis but may be less familiar with the underlying data construction process. Strengthening country-level coverage in the GTAP Data Base is essential to support evidence-based policymaking and unlock Africa’s development potential.