ESJ Social Sciences www.eujournal.org 173 The Efficiency of Public Spending in Sub-Saharan Africa Dickson O. Wandeda Wafula Masai Samuel M. Nyandemo University of Nairobi, Kenya Doi:10.19044/esj.2021.v17n19p173 Submitted: 04 January 2021 Accepted: 10 March 2021 Published: 30 June 2021 Copyright 2021 Author(s) Under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 OPEN ACCESS Cite As: Wandeda D.O., Masai W. & Nyandemo S.M. (2021). The Efficiency of Public Spending in Sub-Saharan Africa. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 17(19), 173. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2021.v17n19p173 Abstract In this article, the authors analyze the efficiency of public spending among Sub-Saharan African countries using a panel data for 23 Sub-Saharan Africa countries covering the period 2006-2018. This paper employs two-stage bootstrap output-oriented DEA approach. In addition, this study analyses the sources of distortions in public spending. Results show that the average bias- corrected inefficiency score was 48 percent between 2006 and 2018 while the uncorrected inefficiency was 32.3percent. Institutional quality and domestic saving significantly influence the efficiency of public spending. Hence, there is need for Sub-Saharan African governments to observe fiscal discipline through strengthening of monitoring unit of government expenditure. Keywords: Public spending, efficiency, two-stage bootstrap output-oriented DEA Introduction Governments’ intervention in the economy through efficient spending not only enhances long-run growth but are also important in macroeconomic stabilization. With Sub-Saharan African countries (SSA) faced with limited resourc00es, it is crucial to investigate the efficiency of public spending since a marginal change can have a great impact on the attainment of government objectives which are in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An empirical finding that details the extent of efficiencies of government