Antonio Savoia

Who is

Antonio Savoia is a Reader in Development Economics at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, and a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the United Nations University - World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER). His research has looked at the determinants of governance and institutional performance and how they impinge on development outcomes and policies. He is Managing Co-Editor of the Journal of Development Studies and has previously worked at the University of Exeter, the University of Reading, the University of Bath and the Università di Salerno.

Selected publications

• Ali, A.M., Savoia, A. (2025) Does local government fragmentation reduce poverty? Evidence from Bangladesh. J Econ Inequal https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-025-09678-5
• Masi, T., and Sen, K. (2024) “Is There a Fiscal Resource Curse? Resource Rents, Fiscal Capacity and Political Institutions in Developing Economies”, World Development, Vol. 177, May, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106532
• Ali, A.M., Savoia, A. (2023) “Decentralisation or Patronage: What determines government’s allocation of development spending in a unitary country? Evidence from Bangladesh” European Journal of Political Economy, Vol.78, June, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2023.102385
• Savoia, A., Sen, K. and Tagem, A. (2023) “Constraints on the Executive and Tax Revenues in the Long Run” (with). Journal of Institutional Economics, 19(3), 314-331. doi:10.1017/S1744137422000492
• Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2023) “The Origins of Fiscal States in Developing Economies: History, Politics and Institutions”, Journal of Institutional Economics, 19(3), 303-313. doi:10.1017/S1744137423000024.
• Bournakis, I., Said, M., Savoia, A. and Savoia F. (2023) “Regional Income Inequality in Egypt: Evolution and Implications for Sustainable Development Goal 10”, Oxford Development Studies. DOI: 10.1080/13600818.2023.2225429.
•  Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2021) “The Political Economy of the Resource Curse: a Development Perspective”, Annual Review of Resource Economics, Vol.13: 203-223.
• Asadullah, N., Mansor, N. and Savoia, A. (2021) “Understanding a ‘Development Miracle’: Poverty Reduction, Economic Growth and Human Development in Malaysia during 1970-2010”, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Vol.22(4): 551-576.
• Asadullah, N., Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2020) “Will South Asia Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030? Learning from the MDGs experience”, Social Indicators Research, 152(1): 165-189. Springer.
• Malito, D., Umbach G., Hulme D. and Savoia, A. (2020) “Measuring Governance to Achieve Sustainable Development: Promises and Challenges”, Forthcoming in the Encyclopaedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Peace Justice and Strong Institutions Volume. Springer.
• Ricciuti, R., Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2019) “What Determines Administrative Capacity in Developing Countries?”, International Tax and Public Finance, 26(5): 972-998. Springer.
• Ricciuti, R., Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2019)  “How Do Political Institutions Affect Fiscal Capacity? Explaining Taxation in Developing Economies”, Journal of Institutional Economics, 15(2): 351-380. Cambridge University Press.
• Asadullah, N., Savoia, A. (2018) “Poverty Reduction during 1990-2013: Do Millennium Development Goals adoption and State Capacity Matter?”, World Development, Vol.105, pp.70-82, May 2018. Elsevier.
• Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2016) “Do We See Convergence in Institutional Quality? A Cross-Country Analysis”, The Journal of Development Studies, 52(2): 166-185. Taylor & Francis.
• Dimova, R., Savoia, A. (2016) “Institutions: Evolution, Path Dependency, Anachronism and Impact”, The Journal of Development Studies, 52(2): 161-165. Taylor & Francis.
• Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2015) “Measurement, Evolution, Determinants and Consequences of State Capacity: A Review of Recent Research”, Journal of Economic Surveys, 29(3): 441-458, July 2015. Wiley.
• Hulme, D., Savoia, A., Sen, K. (2015) “Governance as a Global Development Goal? Setting, Measuring and Monitoring the Post 2015 Development Agenda”, Global Policy, 6: 85-96, May 2015. Wiley.
• Asadullah, N., Mahmud, W., Savoia, A. (2014) “Paths to Development: Is There a Bangladesh Surprise?”, World Development, October 2014, Vol.62, pp.138-154. Elsevier.
• Easaw, J., Amendola, A., Savoia, A. (2013) “Inequality in Developing Economies: the Role of Institutional Development”, Public Choice, 2013, 155(1-2): 43-60. Springer.
• Cullis, J., Jones, P., Savoia, A. (2012) “Social norms and tax compliance: framing the decision to pay tax”, Journal of Behavioural and Experimental Economics, 2012, Vol. 41 (2): 159-168. Elsevier.
• Easaw, J., McKay? A., Savoia, A. (2010) “Inequality, Democracy and Institutions: a Critical Review of Recent Research”, World Development, February 2010, Vol.38, No.2, pp.142-154. Elsevier.