Trade Openness and Economic Growth in Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to map the intellectual structure and evolution of research on the relationship between trade openness and economic growth in Africa. We employ a systematic bibliometric analysis using Bibliometrix R-package (version R-4.5.1) and its Biblioshiny web-interface to analyze 104 scientific articles from the Scopus database published between 2014 and 2024. Our analysis leverages performance analysis and science mapping to delineate the field's trajectory. The findings reveal a robustly growing field, characterized by a shift from examining direct causal relationships towards investigating critical moderating factors such as institutional quality and financial development. Thematic and factorial analyses identify the central research clusters, while trend analysis highlights the rising prominence of regional integration, especially in relation to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The study further identifies a significant geographical bias in research focus and methodological sophistication evolving towards complex econometric techniques. Our study provides the first bibliometric analysis on the trade openness-economic growth nexus in Africa. It identifies critical research gaps, including the need for geographical diversification and micro-level studies, thereby providing a clear agenda for future scholarly inquiry.