Natural Resources and Economic Development
Natural Resources and Economic Development is a research topic within General Economics, Econometrics and Finance. Science Explorer counts 13k research works in it since 1950. 23.7% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the phenomenon of resource curse, focusing on the impact of natural resource abundance, particularly oil, on political institutions, economic development, corruption, and democracy. It delves into the intricate relationship between resource wealth, governance, and societal well-being, offering insights into the challenges and complexities associated with managing and harnessing natural resources for sustainable development.
- Natural Resources
- Resource Curse
- Political Economy
- Oil Wealth
- Corruption
- Democracy
- Institutions
- Economic Development
- Rent Seeking
- Transparency
- Research works
- 13k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 3.1k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 23.7% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +34% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Natural Resources and Economic Development research?
By volume, Nigeria and the United States publish the most (376 and 333 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Nigeria 376 works
- 2 United States 333 works
- 3 China 280 works
- 4 United Kingdom 195 works
- 5 Indonesia 123 works
- 6 Germany 110 works
- 7 Türkiye 102 works
- 8 Russia 85 works
- 9 Iraq 81 works
- 10 India 75 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Natural Resources and Economic Development research?
By volume in 2022–2025, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy publishes the most Natural Resources and Economic Development research, followed by University of Port Harcourt and Rivers State University.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Institute for Peace Research and Security PolicyGermany 58 works
- 2 University of Port HarcourtNigeria 29 works
- 3 Rivers State UniversityNigeria 24 works
- 4 University of NigeriaNigeria 18 works
- 5 Delta State UniversityNigeria 16 works
- 6 Université de DschangCameroon 16 works
- 7 University of GhanaGhana 16 works
- 8 University of JohannesburgSouth Africa 13 works
- 9 Azerbaijan State University of EconomicsAzerbaijan 13 works
- 10 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom 11 works
Who are the leading researchers in Natural Resources and Economic Development?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Natural Resources and Economic Development include Benjamin K. Sovacool and Anthony J. Venables.
- 1 Benjamin K. Sovacool Denmark 2.9k citations
- 2 Anthony J. Venables United Kingdom 2.3k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Natural Resources and Economic Development research done?
The largest centres of Natural Resources and Economic Development research in 2022–2025 are Hamburg (Germany), Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Beijing (China) and Moscow (Russia). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Port Harcourt.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
- 1 Hamburg Germany 61 works
- 2 Port Harcourt Nigeria 53 works
- 3 Beijing China 53 works
- 4 Moscow Russia 52 works
- 5 London United Kingdom 47 works
- 6 Washington D.C. United States 46 works
- 7 Accra Ghana 33 works
- 8 Baku Azerbaijan 27 works
- 9 Lagos Nigeria 25 works
- 10 Tehran Iran 25 works
Where it is the local speciality
- Port HarcourtNG · 53.1 works46×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Natural Resources and Economic Development than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Natural Resources and Economic Development?
Among universities, judged by research, Université de Yaoundé I, Université de Dschang and University of Nigeria score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Université de Yaoundé ICameroon | 72.9 | 62.6% | 22.0× | 10 | +61.3% |
| 2 | Université de DschangCameroon | 70.6 | 53.8% | 49.7× | 16 | — |
| 3 | University of NigeriaNigeria | 66.7 | 25.4% | 22.5× | 18 | +166.7% |
| 4 | University of Cape CoastGhana | 64.8 | 40.3% | 22.7× | 10 | +120.8% |
| 5 | Azerbaijan State University of EconomicsAzerbaijan | 58.9 | 28.3% | 71.9× | 13 | — |
| 6 | University of Port HarcourtNigeria | 57.1 | 12.8% | 54.7× | 29 | +94.9% |
| 7 | University of GhanaGhana | 57.1 | 19.9% | 23.4× | 16 | +50.5% |
| 8 | University of JohannesburgSouth Africa | 55.6 | 38.9% | 6.6× | 13 | +105.0% |
| 9 | Rivers State UniversityNigeria | 52.9 | 3.9% | 44.5× | 24 | +139.5% |
| 10 | University of South AfricaSouth Africa | 51.9 | 53.6% | 6.1× | 8 | +78.2% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Natural Resources and Economic Development research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 34% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Natural Resources and Economic Development.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.