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Community flows and economic structuring: the influence of religious groups

Auteur: Aicha Fall

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Flux communautaires et structuration économique : le poids des groupes religieux

Large religious organizations actively participate in the economy through their educational and healthcare networks. They manage schools, health centers, and vocational training facilities, which mobilize significant financial and human resources. These interventions contribute to human capital development, reduce public service gaps, and support vulnerable populations, often operating outside of state budgets.

Beyond social services, these groups play a key role in the informal redistribution of income. Donations, contributions, and fundraising organized within communities finance local projects, support consumption, and, in some contexts, mitigate economic shocks. These mechanisms create a parallel monetary flow that indirectly benefits local economies and fosters household resilience to macroeconomic fluctuations.

Land ownership is another area where their influence is significant. Religious institutions often own and manage land, which they use for agricultural, educational, or social activities. This land ownership can shape urbanization and impact the value of surrounding land, while partially escaping public regulations and taxes depending on the national context. Their role in land management and redistribution thus reinforces their indirect economic power.

Despite their real contribution, the macroeconomic impact of religious groups often remains insufficiently measured. The informal nature of many financial flows, the lack of consolidated accounting, and organizational complexity make quantification difficult. This low visibility in official statistics limits policymakers' ability to properly assess the economic and social resilience of their territories.

Integrating these actors into economic analysis would allow for a better understanding of the dynamics of resource flows and local solidarity. This would offer a more comprehensive perspective on informal crisis buffers, the structuring of human capital, and land management, while highlighting the importance of coordinating public policies with these strategic partners to strengthen overall economic efficiency.

Auteur: Aicha Fall
Publié le: Mercredi 24 Décembre 2025

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