Prof Stefan Dercon

A Leading Development Economist and Policy Adviser

Professor Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government and Department of Economics, Director of Oxford's Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), and a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford.

He is a leading development economist and policy adviser whose work focuses on the political economy of development, economic transformation, poverty reduction, state capability and the institutional conditions that enable countries to achieve sustained and inclusive growth.

Three Decades Across Academia, Policy and International Development

Professor Dercon brings more than three decades of experience spanning academic research, public policy and international development across Africa and other developing regions.

He served as Chief Economist of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) from 2011 to 2017, providing strategic advice and strengthening the use of evidence in development policy and spending. He has also advised successive UK Foreign Secretaries on development policy and worked extensively with governments and development institutions on economic and development challenges.

Gambling on Development: Why Some Countries Win and Others Lose

His research examines why some countries succeed in achieving broad-based development while others remain trapped by weak institutions, political constraints and unproductive economic structures.

His influential book, Gambling on Development: Why Some Countries Win and Others Lose, draws on three decades of research and policy experience across more than 40 countries to examine how political and elite settlements shape governments' ability to pursue growth and development.

Academic Credentials and Honours

Professor Dercon holds an MPhil and DPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford.

He is a Fellow of the British Academy, elected in 2025 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the social sciences, and was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2018 for services to economics and international development.

Keynote Address at NES #32

At NES #32, Professor Dercon will deliver the keynote address, "Growth that Works: State Capability, Productive Transformation and Shared Prosperity," bringing a global comparative perspective to Nigeria's challenge of translating economic reforms into productivity, investment, jobs, institutional effectiveness and broad-based prosperity.