The Time-Travelling Economist

“Charlie Robertson is not only one of the most astute emerging- and frontier market economists of his time, his advice is simple, clear and evidence-based. If emerging market policy makers and government leaders ignore tired ideologies and take note of the vital importance of education, electrifi cation and family size, the world will be a better place.” —Hendrik du Toit, Founder and CEO, Ninety One “Charlie Robertson has as always uniquely and convincingly showcased the high returns you earn as individuals or society when you invest in excellent education”. —Arunma Oteh, Chairperson, Royal African Society, and Scholar University of Oxford “This is a hugely refreshing book. It manages to entertain while dealing with a deeply serious set of issues, it escapes many of the ideologies and fashions that weigh down many works of its type, and running through it is a deep curiosity about empirical patterns and their practical implications.” —Professor Christopher Cramer, Professor of Political Economy, University of London “An important and illuminating book that draws out vital themes in central and eastern Europe's history and Asia’s too, and how a similar focus could help many in south Asia and Africa become high income countries” —Florin Citu, Romania’s Prime Minister 2020–21 This insightful and original book explores the key issues that countries in Africa and South Asia need to address in order to escape poverty. Challenging traditional assumptions about the world’s poorest countries, the top priorities to address are identified as adult literacy, electricity for manufacturing, and the consequence of the relationship between fertility and savings. These suggestions are placed within a historical perspective, placing discussions on modern day Africa and South Asia alongside the development of East Asia, Europe, and the Americas in previous generations and centuries. The Time-Travelling Economist aims to move conversations about development beyond the resource curse or private sector failings, with a fresh focus on the policies that governments can embark on independently and affordably that will transform their future. It will be of interest to anyone interested in the future of the world’s low income countries.