UPDATE
• The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to exact a heavy human toll, and the economic crisis it has triggered can upend recent development progress.
• Growth in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020 is projected at –1.6 percent, the lowest level on record.
• The policy priority is to ramp up health capacity and spending to save lives and contain the virus outbreak.
• Support from all development partners is essential to address the sizable financing needs, including debt relief for the most vulnerable countries.
• Fiscal, monetary, and financial policies should be used to protect vulnerable groups, mitigate economic losses, and support the recovery. Once the crisis subsides, fiscal positions should return to sustainable paths.

Chapter 1: COVID-19: An Unprecedented Threat to Development
Chapter 2: Adapting to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa
Chapter 3: Digitalization in Sub-Saharan Africa
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Growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to remain at 3.2 percent in 2019 and rise to 3.6 percent in 2020. The expected recovery, however, is at a slower pace than previously envisaged for about two-thirds of the countries in the region, partly due to a challenging external environment. Growth is projected to remain strong in non-resource-intensive countries, averaging about 6 percent. As a result, 24 countries, home to about 500 million people, will see their per capita income rise faster than the rest of the world. In contrast, growth is expected to move in slow gear in resource-intensive countries (2½ percent). Hence, 21 countries are projected to have per capita growth lower than the world average. Reducing risks and promoting sustained and inclusive growth across all countries in the region requires carefully calibrating the near-term policy mix, building resilience, and raising medium-term growth.
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: Navigating Uncertainty
Chapter 2: Competition, Competitiveness, and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Chapter 3: Domestic Arrears in Sub-Saharan Africa: Causes, Symptoms, and Cures
Statistical Appendix