Etang, Alvin

Person:
Etang, Alvin

Poverty and Equity GP, Africa

Fields of Specialization

Poverty, High Frequency Surveys

Departments

Poverty and Equity GP, Africa

Last updated: January 13, 2025

Biography

Alvin Etang is an Economist in the Poverty Global Practice at the World Bank. Previously a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale University, Alvin received his Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Otago. His interest in micro-development has led him to focus on analysis of poverty and welfare outcomes. With substantial experience in the design, implementation and analysis of household surveys, Alvin has worked in many African countries. He has also taught economics courses at the undergraduate level, and has experience in designing and using economic experiments as a tool to analyze poverty issues. He has a number of scholarly publications.

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Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 26

Understanding the Challenges and Constraints of Bhutanese Youth in Accessing Employment Opportunities
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-09) Choki, Tshering; Etang, Alvin
Youths are a vital part of the economic workforce, but they face unique challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing world. Despite being tech-savvy and socially conscious, many youths struggle to access the labor market due to lack of experience, job opportunities, and job security. Youth and female unemployment is a major issue globally, impacting economic welfare and growth. Addressing this can improve productivity, stability, and social cohesion. Studies show that youth unemployment in Bhutan is particularly high, with female youths being more vulnerable due to limited resources, education, and workplace discrimination. The 2022 National Labor Force Survey reveals a significant rise in youth unemployment, with females at 7.9 percent and males at 4.4 percent. The agriculture sector remains a key economic activity, employing 49.2 percent of the labor force. This study aims to understand the challenges and constraints faced by women and youth in accessing employment opportunities.
Poverty Dynamics in Bhutan, 2017–2022: Evidence from Synthetic Panels
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-13) Amendola, Nicola; Belotti, Federico; Etang, Alvin; Mancini, Giulia; Vecchi, Giovanni
This paper examines the dynamics of poverty in Bhutan between 2017 and 2022, utilizing cross-sectional data from the Bhutan Living Standards Surveys. The paper constructs synthetic panels and estimates poverty transition probabilities. Three main findings emerge. First, poverty turnover in Bhutan is low overall (not many people, as a share of the population, moved in and out of poverty during the period considered). Second, chronic poverty, defined as the probability of remaining poor in both years (2017 and 2022), was also low, both in absolute terms and compared to other countries for which similar estimates are available. The probability of being poor in both years is 6 percent of households in Bhutan, compared to over 15 percent in India and 17.5 percent in Pakistan. Third, upward poverty mobility (the probability of escaping poverty between 2017 and 2022) is 20 times higher than downward poverty mobility.
Bhutan Labor Market Assessment Report
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-02-14) Alaref, Jumana; Martinoty, Laurine; Viollaz, Mariana; Bartl, Esther; Leite, Phillippe; Etang Ndip, Alvin
Between 2001 and 2019, Bhutan made significant economic progress with an average annual growth rate of 7 percent. This progress was accompanied by significant improvements in monetary and nonmonetary standards of living. However, recent shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and global macroeconomic volatilities disrupted these efforts. The recovery could be further complicated by the country’s pressing structural challenges related to a lack of economic diversification away from the hydropower-led growth model, vulnerabilities to shocks, and weak productivity gains. In addition, human capital remains low. The record number of Bhutanese migrating abroad with the reopening of the country’s borders in mid-2022 is fueling further concerns by policy makers about the country’s development prospects. This report examines the labor market in Bhutan with the objective of identifying the most pressing challenges at the pandemic recovery stage and ways to mitigate them. It is hoped that the findings can be used to support the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) in its implementation of its thirteenth Five-Year Plan (2024–2029).
Impact of High Inflation on Household Livelihoods in Urban South Sudan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-10) Hounsa, Thierry; Etang, Alvin; Pape, Utz
Using panel data, this paper analyzes the impact of high inflation on household livelihoods in urban South Sudan. Based on a difference-in-difference approach, inflation is found to have a strong negative impact on urban poverty between 2015 and 2017, mainly driven by the increase of non-food prices. Food price inflation had a negative and statistically significant impact on girls’ primary and secondary school attendance, while proximity to school is very important for girls’ school attendance. Increases in food prices led to a decline in labor force participation, increasing unemployment among urban residents. Inflation is exacerbating food insecurity and hunger, particularly for the poorest households who are more vulnerable to hunger. Inflation has also negatively affected households’ perceptions of welfare. These changes in welfare are mostly explained by the period of near hyper-inflation in 2017. Addressing high inflation must be at the center of efforts to reduce poverty and hunger to improve the welfare of the people of South Sudan.
Agricultural Productivity and Poverty in Rural Sudan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) Ali, Haseeb; Etang, Alvin; Fuje, Habtamu; Touray, Sering
While agriculture remains the mainstay for a large share of the population in Sudan, and rural poverty has seen a dramatic decrease (between 2009 and 2014/15), poverty remains relatively high among those engaged in agriculture. Households engaged in agriculture—either crop farming or raising livestock—see among the highest rates of poverty among households classified by their main livelihoods in Sudan. As these households form a major bulk of the total population, understanding why these households remain poor and identifying strategies for lifting them out of poverty is a key concern for researchers and policy makers. This concern occupies the primary motivation for this study. Using data from the 2009 National Baseline Household Survey (NBHS) and 2014/15 National Household Budget and Poverty Survey (NHBPS), this study sheds light on the rural landscape in Sudan. Though rural Sudan has fared much better than urban Sudan between survey rounds, the number of poor remains higher in rural than in urban areas. Sudan severely lags other African countries in terms of agricultural productivity. Sorghum, Sudan’s most commonly produced crop—grown by close to half the agrarian households—has seen yields increase from below 500 kg per ha in 1995 to almost 700 kg per ha in 2017. A major constraint to improving crop productivity in Sudan is the low use of productivity-enhancing inputs, particularly fertilizers and pesticides and low-yield seed varieties. Increasing input use can be achieved by investing in rural markets. Market participation of agrarian households in Sudan is low, constraining farmers’ ability to raise their income levels and escape poverty. Improving rural transportation and telecommunications networks, providing access to rural credit and financial services, and increasing the ease of doing business for input providers and output marketers can increase the geographic penetration of agrarian input and output markets. Though sorghum and millet remain the dominant crops grown in Sudan, the recent increase in the number of households growing sesame is a welcome development. Deteriorations in the irrigation infrastructure need to be reversed to ensure Sudan remains competitive in the export of commercial crops. Access to cell phones has significantly increased channels of communication for the rural poor.
Women Empowerment for Poverty and Inequality Reduction in Sudan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) Osman, Eiman; Etang, Alvin; Kirkwood, Daniel
This paper examines how gender equality has evolved in Sudan during the last decade. The analysis comprises various dimensions including the accumulation of endowment in all its forms (human capital and physical capital), access to economic opportunities, access to services (water, sanitation, and electricity), and voice/representation to make decision at all levels. Key findings of the paper are the following. Sudanese women live in poorer than Sudanese men during key productive and reproductive years and appear to suffer greater poverty-related impacts of childcare and divorce. In education, gender gaps are shrinking as the proportion of girls attending primary school and the proportion of boys attending secondary school both continue to increase. Sudan’s maternal mortality ratio declined between 2004 and 2014, supported by an improvement in access to reproductive care services. Time spent in collecting water is a burden to both genders, with no significant difference between females and males. A higher proportion of female-headed households are in the lowest asset index quintile compared to male-headed households, while a lower share of female-headed households are in the highest asset index quintile than male-headed households. Male-headed households have better access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services and electricity. Sudan has a large gender gap in labor force participation that contrasts starkly to the average for the Sub-Saharan African region. Female household heads are more likely to be food insecure and experience higher exposure to shocks, compared to male heads. The paper includes a discussion on the potential impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality, as well as possible policy options to reduce gender inequality in Sudan.
Towards a More Inclusive Economy: Understanding the Barriers Sudanese Women and Youth Face in Accessing Employment Opportunities
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) Lundvall, Jonna; Etang, Alvin; Osman, Eiman; Wistrand, Jennifer
The provision and access to quality employment opportunities, especially for women and youth, is instrumental in achieving inclusive growth and more effective development outcomes. However, women and youth are particularly disadvantaged in the Sudanese labor market. Understanding gender- and youth-specific issues can help identify entry points for greater employment opportunities for women and youth in Sudan. They can also help shape actions for enhanced growth and sustainability. The objective of this study, which builds on mixed methods research, is to contribute to a better understanding of the current situation, challenges, and constraints that women and youth face in accessing employment opportunities. To identify and examine these challenges and constraints, the study applies a conceptual framework derived from the World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development analytical framework. More specifically, the study examines the role of informal institutions, formal institutions, and markets as they relate to employment-related outcomes for women and youth in Sudan. The study analyzes how these aspects influence intra-household decision-making processes, especially as they relate to the participation of women and youth in the economic sphere. These decisions directly affect individual-level endowments and agency, including access to economic opportunities. The study documents that Sudanese customs and norms affect women’s roles in society, and young people are less likely to participate in the labor force and be employed compared to adults. The findings call for policy actions to improve access of women and youth to employment opportunities.
A Proxy Means Test for Targeted Social Protection Programs in Sudan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) Ervin, Paul; Etang, Alvin; Namara, Suleiman
This study seeks to support the efforts of Sudan in the targeting of the Sudan Emergency Safety Nets Project (SESNP) and any other future safety net programs in Sudan to those most in need. Sudan has faced numerous challenges for several years. Since its separation from South Sudan in 2011, the economy has experienced macroeconomic imbalances that have lasted for over a decade. In addition, the country has faced political instability, internal conflicts, and challenging climatic conditions. All of these challenges pose direct consequences to the poor. More recently, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis have only exacerbated the economic and social situation in the country. In this context, the number of poor and vulnerable is expected to have increased considerably since the last reported official poverty rate, which accounted for 61.1% of the population in 2015. In light of these events, there is a growing consensus on the need of social safety net programs in the country. The proposed program, the SESNP, is expected to provide unconditional cash and food transfers to nearly 2 million Sudanese people (i.e., about 5% of the population). To support this program in targeting beneficiaries to improve the poverty impact of the program, we develop a Proxy Mean Tests (PMT) for Sudan based on the National Household Budget and Poverty Survey (NHBPS) 2014/2015. The results indicate that the use of a PMT could considerably improve the program in reaching those most in need, while reducing expenditure towards those with adequate resources. This could improve both the poverty impact, as well as the sustainability of the program.
Shocks and Household Welfare in Sudan
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) Touray, Sering; Etang, Alvin
The Sudanese economy has faced several shocks over the years—sometimes resulting in devastating impacts on the economy and the welfare of Sudanese households. Poor households are often particularly vulnerable to shocks. The extent of the impacts of shocks on household welfare depends on the nature and severity of the shocks as well as households’ capacity to manage its risk of exposure to shocks ex ante and/or mitigate the impact of shocks ex post. This paper applies this framework to examine the impact of shocks on the welfare of Sudanese households and explore coping strategies typically utilized by households to mitigate the negative effects of shocks. The paper uses the 2009 National Baseline Household Survey (NBHS) and the 2014/15 National Household Budget and Poverty Survey (NHBPS) to document the main types of shocks that Sudanese households are exposed to and describe the profile of Sudanese households likely to be vulnerable and/or resilient to shocks. To complement this analysis, the paper uses the most recent round of the data collected in 2014/15 (containing information on idiosyncratic shocks) together with data on covariate shocks such as rainfall and conflict obtained from other sources to estimate the impact of shocks on household welfare. Since the impact of shocks on household welfare is likely to be multidimensional, various indicators of household welfare such as consumption, poverty status, assets, dietary quality, and diversity are considered in the paper. Results from the analysis are used to highlight the state of social protection in Sudan and discuss the need for an expansion of the existing system. The prevalence of shocks in Sudan is most common among poor, agricultural, and rural households. Floods/droughts have the largest negative effect on the welfare of Sudanese households. The large negative effects of shocks on the welfare of Sudanese households (particularly those with low capacity to cope with shocks) highlight significant limitations in households’ ability to fully mitigate the impact of shocks.
Reversing the Trend of Stunting in Sudan: Opportunities for Human Capital Development through Multisectoral Approaches
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) Touray, Sering; Etang, Alvin
Stunting, measured using a height-for-age Z score [HAZ] and an indicator of chronic malnutrition, among 0–5-year-old Sudanese children has been on the rise—from 34 percent in 2010 to 38 percent in 2014. Although a multisectoral approach to tackling undernutrition may mask clarity and undermine specificity of sectors to prioritize, it can be a basis for designing evidenced-based and balanced multisectoral strategies to addressing stunting in Sudan. Overall, stunting is more prevalent in the early years of Sudanese children and among children from the poorest households and in rural areas where adequate access to the underlying drivers of nutrition also remains significantly low. Adequate access to nutrition drivers is strongly associated with a lower likelihood of being stunted. Among the nutrition drivers considered, adequate access to food security and care and health care (both individually and jointly) significantly lowers a child’s probability of being stunted. In rural areas and poor households where stunting rates are highest, prioritizing food security and access to adequate health care can contribute toward lowering stunting. Poverty remains a central feature of stunting in Sudan and a main source of inequalities in adequate access to nutrition drivers