Is there convergence or divergence in per capita energy consumption in sub-Saharan African countries?

Abstract

All energy-related issues, including energy and energy economics, are issues that countries, policymakers, and researchers have been showing growing interest in. The demand for energy resources in the economies of all countries is growing, while access to energy resources is becoming more difficult, and the value of energy resources is increasing. It is becoming even more difficult for developing countries to access and utilize energy resources. This study examines the existence of convergence in per capita energy consumption for sub-Saharan African countries. The convergence analyses for 19 sub-Saharan African countries were conducted using annual data for the period 1971-2013. According to the Kapetanios, Shin and Snell (2003) test, per capita energy consumption converged in Angola, Benin, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania. According to the nonlinear Güriş (2017) unit root test based on the Flexible Fourier Form, per capita energy consumption converges in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. No evidence of convergence in per capita energy consumption was found in 12 sub-Saharan African countries.

Keywords

• energy consumption
• convergence
• energy consumption convergence
• nonlinear unit root test
• sub-saharan african countries