TITLE:
Drivers of Economic Growth in the East African Community: A Systematic Review of Regional Integration, Trade and Macroeconomic Determinants (2020-2025)
AUTHORS:
Alexis Nzikobanyanka, Léonidas Ndayizeye, Pacific Makuta Mwambusa, Emmanuel Kwizera, Jean Baptiste Bukuru
KEYWORDS:
Economic Growth, Regional Integration, Trade Openness, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Financial Risk Management,
Vol.15 No.4,
November
11,
2026
ABSTRACT: The East African Community (EAC), which is often lauded as one of the shining lights of integration in Africa, has been fraught with institutional challenges that have had a bearing on its quest for sustainable development. Based on the PRISMA 2020 checklist, the primary aim of this systematic literature review was to determine and consolidate findings from existing empirical research regarding economic growth drivers in the EAC between 2020 and 2025. Thorough search of 5 academic databases yielded 118 hits from 5 academic databases. Of those, 16 peer-reviewed empirical studies met the full set of eligibility criteria. Quality appraisal and narrative synthesis found that the primary concerns in these studies revolved around the impact of regional integration, trade openness, foreign direct investment (FDI), the quality of governance, financial technology, and development of energy infrastructure on real gross domestic product (GDP) in all partner states. Based on our evidence, there is a probability that the association between regional integration and trade openness is reliant upon, or mediated by, the quality of institutions. Evidence also points to governance gaps and macroeconomic instability remaining major bottlenecks. Financial technology and electricity consumption have emerged as significant mediating mechanisms, subject to adequate infrastructure and regulatory consistency, respectively. There are equally important research gaps in post-pandemic high-frequency cross-sectional studies, informal sector indicators, and non-linear econometrics. Because the majority of studies included cover the period ending 2022, the Evidence synthesis presented in this paper relates to the general macroeconomic, institutional, and structural drivers of growth in the EAC and not just the post-COVID-19 recovery. It is concluded that the decade-long cross-country experience in the EAC suggests that positive and consistent financial and green infrastructure build-up, combined with multi-sector institutional reforms, macroeconomic balancing, and social, economic, and political stability, constitute the best chance for resilient and inclusive growth.