Publication: Where Is Poverty Concentrated?: New Evidence Based on Internationally Consistent Urban and Poverty Measurements
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Published
2023-11-29
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Date
2023-11-29
Author(s)
Nakamura, Shohei
Combes, Pierre-Philippe
Moellerherm, Robin
Robert, Charlotte
Stewart, Benjamin
Yakubenko, Slava
Editor(s)
Abstract
The lack of comparable urban definitions across countries has presented a significant challenge in effectively addressing poverty in both urban and rural areas. This study aims to tackle this issue by comparing subnational poverty statistics across countries, integrating internationally consistent definitions of urban areas into the World Bank’s official global poverty measurement framework. Focusing primarily on 16 Sub-Saharan African countries, the analysis reveals that poverty rates tend to be lower in densely populated urban areas. However, the findings also highlight that urban areas have a higher concentration of impoverished populations than previously estimated. These results underscore the importance of employing consistent urban definitions in cross-country poverty analysis and call for a reevaluation of geographically targeted policies to expedite poverty reduction efforts.
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“Nakamura, Shohei; Combes, Pierre-Philippe; Moellerherm, Robin; Robert, Charlotte; Roberts, Mark; Stewart, Benjamin; Yakubenko, Slava. 2023. Where Is Poverty Concentrated?: New Evidence Based on Internationally Consistent Urban and Poverty Measurements. Policy Research Working Paper; 10620. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/40661 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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