The International Monetary Fund published a working paper introducing a new narrative-based dataset on fiscal consolidations in sub-Saharan Africa, built from IMF staff reports covering 1990–2024 and supported by artificial intelligence methods. The dataset is designed to identify consolidation actions driven by long-term considerations rather than cyclical conditions, to support empirical analysis of the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy in the region. The paper classifies fiscal consolidation measures motivated by objectives such as reducing an inherited budget deficit, ensuring long-term public debt sustainability, and improving economic efficiency. By focusing exclusively on measures assessed as exogenous to the business cycle, the dataset aims to provide a more precise identification of consolidation actions for research use, and the working paper is published to elicit comments and encourage debate.
International Monetary Fund 2026-01-23
International Monetary Fund releases AI-assisted narrative dataset of fiscal consolidation actions in sub-Saharan Africa from 1990 to 2024
The International Monetary Fund released a working paper introducing a narrative-based dataset on fiscal consolidations in sub-Saharan Africa, using IMF staff reports from 1990–2024 and artificial intelligence methods to identify actions driven by long-term considerations. The dataset aims to enhance empirical analysis of fiscal policy's macroeconomic effects by focusing on measures exogenous to the business cycle.