This archive report was first published on 29 October 2021.
Published on October 29, 2021, the African Development Bank (AfDB) projected East Africa's economic growth to rise to 4.1% in 2021, up from 0.4% in 2020.
The East Africa Regional Economic Outlook 2021 attributed the growth to the ongoing global economic recovery, which is expected to boost the region's economic performance.
However, the report warned that the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and risks of spikes in infections could dampen the outlook, particularly in countries highly dependent on tourism.
The AfDB report analyzed the economic performance of countries including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, and found that the East Africa region remains resilient and was the only region in Africa to avoid a recession in 2020.
The bank attributed East Africa's resilience to relatively higher economic diversification and the rapid policy responses initiated by governments to counter the impact of the pandemic.
The report recommended a raft of policy interventions to accelerate the region's recovery and build resilience in the wake of COVID-19, including ramping up vaccinations and designing and implementing economic stimulus packages and recovery strategies.
