Other Poverty Study

351 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2119

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Archipelagic Economies: Spatial Economic Development in the Pacific

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-12-07) Utz, Robert ; Utz, Robert

Archipelagic Economies examines the geographic dispersion of Pacific islands’ populations and its socio-economic consequences. The study presents new measures of geographic dispersion that show the uniqueness of the Pacific island countries’ human geography. It offers a closer look at the socio-economic situation of dispersed island populations, the internal movement of people that connects communities across islands, and the political economy landscape that underpins spatial economic policy decisions. A particular focus of this book is on policy options for dealing with the challenges faced by many outer islands – limited economic opportunities, costly service delivery, obstacles to connectivity by sea, air, and ICT, and urbanization in an era of climate change.
Aspirations Unfulfilled: Malaysia's Cost of Living Challenges

(World Bank, Malaysia, 2020-06) World Bank

Despite Malaysia’s low and stable inflation rate, there has been an ongoing debate regarding perceived increases in the cost of living in the country. The concerns are frequently expressed in public policy discussions, the mass media, and private conversation. The issue has featured prominently in public and private discourse for years, dating back at least to the rationalization of the fuel subsidy in December 2014 and the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax in April 2015. More recently, there has been a robust public debate about whether Malaysia should raise the nationally defined poverty line. These concerns have emerged during a period of low inflation; the average annual headline inflation rate stood at less than 2 percent beginning in January 2015 and has declined to less than 1 percent since January 2018, well below the growth rates of the economy and average nominal incomes. In this context, the “cost of living” is frequently used as a catchall term that may reflect wider developments in the economy and the associated impacts on household budgets and well-being. While the discussion is usually framed as an issue of the rising costs of goods and services, the core issues for most Malaysians extend beyond prices. These include lagging income growth and greater indebtedness that results in less disposable income and inadequate financial savings. In addition, rising home prices also feed into the concerns of many Malaysians about housing affordability and the cost of living.
Analysis of Spatial Patterns of Settlement, Internal Migration, and Welfare Inequality in Zimbabwe

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-04-18) Swinkels, Rob ; Norman, Therese ; Blankespoor, Brian ; Munditi, Nyasha ; Zvirereh, Herbert

This report aims to assess the spatial dimensions of settlement, internal migration, and welfare inequality in Zimbabwe, explore their relationship and implications, and identify policy options for addressing spatial disparities in social outcomes. It is exploratory in nature and identifies areas for further research to continue to unravel the drivers of the pattern that is observed. The study looks at where people are today (chapter 2), unpacks urbanization trends, and reviews population density and connectivity (chapter 3). Chapter 4 assesses the reasons behind the spatial settlement patterns and looks at Zimbabwe’s historical land allocation, land reform, and economic crisis in the 2000s. Chapter 5 discusses the consequences of this spatial distribution of the population in terms of poverty, nonfarm employment, and service delivery outcomes. Chapter 6 discusses policy implications.
Poverty and Economic Mobility in the Kyrgyz Republic: Some Insights from the Life in Kyrgyzstan Survey

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-04-27) World Bank Group

This report focuses on the economic mobility of individuals (and corresponding households) belonging to the bottom 40 percent of the Kyrgyz population. This is indeed the target population chosen by the World Bank Group for the achievement of its second and twin goal of shared prosperity (the first one remaining poverty reduction). Moreover, in the specific case of the Kyrgyz Republic total poverty rates in the period under analysis ranged between 34 and 37 percent, thus making the poverty and bottom 40 percent pools almost identical. For each selected transition group, the report depicts a detailed profile of corresponding main socio-economic characteristics. Four transition groups were in particular identified: (i) those who were found to be stuck in the bottom 40 percent in both 2010 and 2011; (ii) those who managed to move up from the bottom 40 percent in 2011; (iii) those who entered the bottom 40 percent in 2011, and (iv) those who managed to stay in the top 60 percent in both years under analysis. The evidence shows a few significant differences among these four groups in terms of both households’ invariant and individual characteristics.
The Socio-Economic Impacts of Ebola in Liberia : Results from a High Frequency Cell Phone Survey

(Washington, DC, 2015-02-24) World Bank Group

As of February 18, 2015 Liberia has reported over 9,000 cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), and 3,900 deaths. Since the previous round of data collection, in December 2014, Liberia continues to show progress toward getting to zero cases, and in the 21 days leading up to January 28, there were only 20 confirmed cases nationally, down from 92 in the 21 days ending on December 31, 2014, and a high of 546 in late August and early September. It is believed that all those currently infected are seeking care in Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs), some of which have begun to close in recent weeks as a result of declining need. The World Bank Group, with the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services and the Gallup Organization, has continued to monitor the socio-economic impacts of EVD on households through a series of mobile-phone surveys conducted in October, November, and December 2014, and January 2015. As the health crisis continues to abate in Liberia, it will be crucial to tackle the important medium- and long-term economic and welfare impacts of Ebola on households. As Liberia continues on the path to eradicating Ebola, it will be important to identify and support those who are most vulnerable to the sluggish economy and whose long-term welfare may be negatively impacted by coping decisions made in the name of immediate stability. As households send their children back to school in the next month, the World Bank Group and partners will continue to monitor the crisis and work to support the Liberian government and its people as they move into economic recovery.