Publication: Dominican Republic - Poverty Assessment : Poverty in a High-Growth Economy, 1986-2000, Volume 1. Main Report
Loading...
Date
2001-12-17
ISSN
Published
2001-12-17
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Since its recovery of macroeconomic stability in 1991, the Dominican Republic has experienced a period of notable economic growth. Poverty has declined in the 1990s. Nevertheless, a segment of the population-mainly in rural areas-does not seem to have benefited from this growth. Poverty in this country in 1998 is less than that of other countries if one adjusts for the level of economic development. The principal poverty characteristics are the following: Disparity in poverty levels in rural areas relative to the rest of the country. Destitution in the "bateyes," the communities arising near the sugar cane plantations, that are mainly composed of women, children, and the aged. Urban vulnerability to environmental problems while access to basic services is restricted. Vulnerability to natural disasters that destroy the means of production. Poverty is high among children--especially those who have abandoned formal education-female-headed households, and the aged-the latter due to lack of social safety nets and the absence of pension systems. There is a strong correlation between poverty and health indicators like the presence of malnutrition, and poverty and education, and poverty and the absence of basic services. Government transfers and foreign remittances play an important role in reducing poverty.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2001. Dominican Republic - Poverty Assessment : Poverty in a High-Growth Economy, 1986-2000, Volume 1. Main Report. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/15411 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Dominican Republic - Poverty Assessment : Poverty in a High-Growth Economy, 1986-2000, Volume 2. Background Papers(Washington, DC, 2001-12-17)Since its recovery of macroeconomic stability in 1991, the Dominican Republic has experienced a period of notable economic growth. Poverty has declined in the 1990s. Nevertheless, a segment of the population-mainly in rural areas-does not seem to have benefited from this growth. Poverty in this country in 1998 is less than that of other countries if one adjusts for the level of economic development. The principal poverty characteristics are the following: Disparity in poverty levels in rural areas relative to the rest of the country. Destitution in the "bateyes," the communities arising near the sugar cane plantations, that are mainly composed of women, children, and the aged. Urban vulnerability to environmental problems while access to basic services is restricted. Vulnerability to natural disasters that destroy the means of production. Poverty is high among children--especially those who have abandoned formal education-female-headed households, and the aged-the latter due to lack of social safety nets and the absence of pension systems. There is a strong correlation between poverty and health indicators like the presence of malnutrition, and poverty and education, and poverty and the absence of basic services. Government transfers and foreign remittances play an important role in reducing poverty.Publication Uzbekistan - Living Standards Assessment : Policies to Improve Living Standards, Volume 1. Summary Report(Washington, DC, 2003-05)Since independence, Uzbekistan has followed a distinct economic strategy, entailing gradual transformation of the economy, while emphasizing social stability. The "Uzbek Model" of development has focused on developing industrial and manufacturing capacity in a predominantly agricultural economy, using direct and substantial state guidance. An important objective of the strategy has been to raise living standards and expand employment opportunities, while protecting vulnerable groups against abject poverty. Has this approach alleviated the problems of poverty inherited by the country? This report provides the first national level picture of living standards in Uzbekistan since independence. It has three main goals: (i) to examine the current status of living standards in Uzbekistan (ii) to identify key challenges and constraints to improving living standards, and (iii) to suggest priority policy actions that are needed for broad based improvements in living standards in the country. The report was prepared in close collaboration with a working group from the Government of Uzbekistan, to ensure the relevance of the findings and to build capacity for analytical evaluation of living standards using household survey data. The report is based on the recently improved and nationally representative Family Budget Survey (FBS) (2000/01) carried out by the Uzbek statistical authorities. Since 2000/01 was the first year of implementation of the revised nationally representative survey, the new survey is considered by the Statistical Authorities to be a pilot. This is also the first time the data have been used for poverty analysis, and the exercise has yielded important feedback for further strengthening the survey. Despite these important caveats, the FBS does provide the first comprehensive information on living standards in the country, and represents the best available information at this time. Results that appear to contradict conventional wisdom cannot be rejected a priori, since they represent the responses of about 10,000 households. They must be verified with future rounds of the survey as well as special studies. In addition to the FBS, the report uses other sources of information, including surveys of firms, farms, institutions and individuals, as well as administrative data. The study also uses international evidence to compare and contrast Uzbekistan's living standards and policy outcomes relative to other countries, including CEE (Central and Eastern European) countries and other CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries. This report comprises two volumes. This first volume provides a summary of the findings and key policy recommendations of the report, preceded first by a brief overview of the key messages. The second volume contains the more detailed technical analysis on which this first volume is based.Publication 2011 Philippines Development Report : Generating Inclusive Growth to Uplift the Poor(World Bank, 2011-02-01)The theme of the 2011 Philippines development report is 'generating inclusive growth, uplifting the poor and vulnerable'. This theme is follows from the priorities set in President Aquino's Social Contract and the emerging 2011-2016 Philippines Development Plan (PDP). The PDP details the vision of inclusive growth and poverty reduction that underlies the social contract (chapter one). Accordingly, the PDP focuses on three strategic objectives: (1) attaining a sustained and high rate of economic growth that provides productive employment opportunities, (2) equalizing access to development opportunities for all Filipinos, and (3) implementing effective social safety nets to protect and enable those who do not have the capability to participate in the economic growth process. While the country's development agenda remains broadly the same over the last decade, the Aquino government is focusing on stepped-up implementation and delivery. The pressing development issues confronting the Philippines in 2011 are not radically different from those of previous years. The critical difference is the new government's focus on effective implementation and delivery of public goods and services, starting with a firm approach to fighting corruption and improving governance.Publication Making the New Indonesia Work for the Poor(Washington, DC, 2006-11)Indonesia stands at the threshold of a new era and at an important juncture of its history. After the historic economic, political and social upheavals at the end of the 1990s, Indonesia has started to regain its footing. The country has largely recovered from the economic and financial crisis that threw millions of its citizens back into poverty in 1998 and saw it regress to a low-income status. Recently, it has once again crossed the threshold, making it one of the world's emergent middle-income countries. Likewise, poverty rates that increased by over one-third during the crisis fell back to pre-crisis levels in 2005, despite rising somewhat in 2006 largely driven by hefty rice price increases in late 2005 and early 2006. Meanwhile, politically and socially Indonesia has seen some major transformations: it is now a country with a vibrant emergent democracy, a newly decentralized government, and far greater social openness and public debate. The purpose of this report is to identify the nature and key constraints to poverty reduction in today's Indonesia and to provide concrete recommendations on how Indonesia can move forward to achieve its poverty reduction objectives. It aims to contribute to the policy debate and decision-making process in Indonesia by putting forth: (i) new and more comprehensive analysis of empirical poverty diagnostics; and (ii) suggestions on concrete policies and programs for a strategic action-plan to achieve Indonesia's stated poverty-reduction objectives. This report lays out how Indonesia can better align policies and programs to achieve the key poverty indicators in which Indonesia is lagging and that are identified by planning documents such as the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction (SNPK) and Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJM).Publication Ethiopia : Re-Igniting Poverty Reduction in Urban Ethiopia through Inclusive Growth(Washington, DC, 2010-01-01)Ethiopia in the decade up to 2005 has been characterized by robust growth rates of the urban economy, where a still limited share of the population lives. The urban economy has been estimated to contribute at least half of gross domestic product (GDP) (53 percent in 2002/03) and to explain a significant part of its growth. Only an estimated 12.6 percent of the poor live in urban areas and the overwhelming concentration of poverty in rural areas seem unlikely to be reversed in the medium term. Sustained growth, to be shared among a relatively small part of the population, could have been expected to reduce poverty significantly in urban areas, but this has not been the case. While poverty incidence remains lower in urban than in rural areas, rural areas have made significant progress and the rural-urban gap in poverty incidence is decreasing.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Media and Messages for Nutrition and Health(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-06)The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has experienced rapid and significant economic growth over the past decade. However, poor nutritional outcomes remain a concern. Rates of childhood undernutrition are particularly high in remote, rural, and upland areas. Media have the potential to play an important role in shaping health and nutrition–related behaviors and practices as well as in promoting sociocultural and economic development that might contribute to improved nutritional outcomes. This report presents the results of a media audit (MA) that was conducted to inform the development and production of mass media advocacy and communication strategies and materials with a focus on maternal and child health and nutrition that would reach the most people from the poorest communities in northern Lao PDR. Making more people aware of useful information, essential services and products and influencing them to use these effectively is the ultimate goal of mass media campaigns, and the MA measures the potential effectiveness of media efforts to reach this goal. The effectiveness of communication channels to deliver health and nutrition messages to target beneficiaries to ensure maximum reach and uptake can be viewed in terms of preferences, satisfaction, and trust. Overall, the four most accessed media channels for receiving information among communities in the study areas were village announcements, mobile phones, television, and out-of-home (OOH) media. Of the accessed media channels, the top three most preferred channels were village announcements (40 percent), television (26 percent), and mobile phones (19 percent). In terms of trust, village announcements were the most trusted source of information (64 percent), followed by mobile phones (14 percent) and television (11 percent). Hence of all the media channels, village announcements are the most preferred, have the most satisfied users, and are the most trusted source of information in study communities from four provinces in Lao PDR with some of the highest burden of childhood undernutrition.Publication The Journey Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.Publication Economic Recovery(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-06)World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about the world facing major challenges, including COVID, climate change, rising poverty and inequality and growing fragility and violence in many countries. He highlighted vaccines, working closely with Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF, the World Bank has conducted over one hundred capacity assessments, many even more before vaccines were available. The World Bank Group worked to achieve a debt service suspension initiative and increased transparency in debt contracts at developing countries. The World Bank Group is finalizing a new climate change action plan, which includes a big step up in financing, building on their record climate financing over the past two years. He noted big challenges to bring all together to achieve GRID: green, resilient, and inclusive development. Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, mentioned focusing on vulnerable people during the pandemic. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, focused on giving everyone a fair shot during a sustainable recovery. All three commented on the importance of tackling climate change.Publication Remarks at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-10-12)World Bank Group President David Malpass discussed biodiversity and climate change being closely interlinked, with terrestrial and marine ecosystems serving as critically important carbon sinks. At the same time climate change acts as a direct driver of biodiversity and ecosystem services loss. The World Bank has financed biodiversity conservation around the world, including over 116 million hectares of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas, 10 million hectares of Terrestrial Protected Areas, and over 300 protected habitats, biological buffer zones and reserves. The COVID pandemic, biodiversity loss, climate change are all reminders of how connected we are. The recovery from this pandemic is an opportunity to put in place more effective policies, institutions, and resources to address biodiversity loss.Publication South Asia Development Update, April 2024: Jobs for Resilience(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-02)South Asia is expected to continue to be the fastest-growing emerging market and developing economy (EMDE) region over the next two years. This is largely thanks to robust growth in India, but growth is also expected to pick up in most other South Asian economies. However, growth in the near-term is more reliant on the public sector than elsewhere, whereas private investment, in particular, continues to be weak. Efforts to rein in elevated debt, borrowing costs, and fiscal deficits may eventually weigh on growth and limit governments' ability to respond to increasingly frequent climate shocks. Yet, the provision of public goods is among the most effective strategies for climate adaptation. This is especially the case for households and farms, which tend to rely on shifting their efforts to non-agricultural jobs. These strategies are less effective forms of climate adaptation, in part because opportunities to move out of agriculture are limited by the region’s below-average employment ratios in the non-agricultural sector and for women. Because employment growth is falling short of working-age population growth, the region fails to fully capitalize on its demographic dividend. Vibrant, competitive firms are key to unlocking the demographic dividend, robust private investment, and workers’ ability to move out of agriculture. A range of policies could spur firm growth, including improved business climates and institutions, the removal of financial sector restrictions, and greater openness to trade and capital flows.