Development Economics

Written for students and working professionals, this textbook builds the analytical and critical skills needed to examine the major economic development challenges facing the world today. Alain de Janvry and Elisabeth Sadoulet organize the material around seven core dimensions: growth, poverty, vulnerability, inequality, basic needs, sustainability, and quality of life.

The book traces how thinking about development has changed over time, then combines theory with empirical evidence to show how development unfolds, how its gains and shortfalls can be measured, and what alternative approaches might be tried. It explains how diagnosis, program and policy design, and impact evaluation can be used to search for better responses to the hardship and conflict that development failures produce.

The text draws on current research and includes practical tools for evaluating development programs and policies, with many worked examples. Case studies, quantitative problem sets, end-of-chapter questions, and extensive references support the material throughout.

The aim is to help readers understand development, weigh past results against other options, and prepare for careers in the development field.