Publication: Colombia : Poverty Report, Volume 2. Background Report
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2002-11-01
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2013-08-22
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The report appraises the impact of economic development, or lack thereof, on the welfare of the Colombian population, and the poor in particular, over the last two decades, and, identifies priority areas for public policy action, vis-e-vis the most vulnerable groups. The welfare assessment covers three key areas - income, access to social services, and personal security, while it also compares welfare indicators between urban, and rural areas, and across other regional partitions. Questions are raised on the depths of poverty, and, on the Government's responsiveness to the incidence of poverty. Findings suggest that despite substantial long-term progress, a recent setback fostered an extreme urban poverty, and, although during the period social indicators reflect positive social development trends, homicide and domestic violence for the poor, and property crime for the non-poor have escalated to unprecedented rates, where the burden of crime is disproportionately borne by poor women. This violence disrupts the market economy, imposing a considerable psychological cost on those who are not directly victimized as well. Government actions nonetheless, show huge public expenditure efforts in social sectors, but with mixed results; therefore, the study addresses the imperative need for high economic growth to reverse poverty, through social programs prioritizing on childcare, health, and basic infrastructure. Likewise, an environment of increasing economic insecurity calls for valuable policy instruments, namely, safety-net programs, to enhance social protection.
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“World Bank. 2002. Colombia : Poverty Report, Volume 2. Background Report. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/15299 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication Colombia : Poverty Report, Volume 1. Main Report(Washington, DC, 2002-11-01)The report appraises the impact of economic development, or lack thereof, on the welfare of the Colombian population, and the poor in particular, over the last two decades, and, identifies priority areas for public policy action, vis-e-vis the most vulnerable groups. The welfare assessment covers three key areas - income, access to social services, and personal security, while it also compares welfare indicators between urban, and rural areas, and across other regional partitions. Questions are raised on the depths of poverty, and, on the Government's responsiveness to the incidence of poverty. Findings suggest that despite substantial long-term progress, a recent setback fostered an extreme urban poverty, and, although during the period social indicators reflect positive social development trends, homicide and domestic violence for the poor, and property crime for the non-poor have escalated to unprecedented rates, where the burden of crime is disproportionately borne by poor women. This violence disrupts the market economy, imposing a considerable psychological cost on those who are not directly victimized as well. Government actions nonetheless, show huge public expenditure efforts in social sectors, but with mixed results; therefore, the study addresses the imperative need for high economic growth to reverse poverty, through social programs prioritizing on childcare, health, and basic infrastructure. Likewise, an environment of increasing economic insecurity calls for valuable policy instruments, namely, safety-net programs, to enhance social protection.Publication Poverty in Egypt 2008-09 : Withstanding the Global Economic Crisis(Washington, DC, 2011-06-11)The original aim of this poverty analysis, prepared in collaboration with Egypt's Ministry of Economic Development, was to help inform the country's development strategy and guide World Bank assistance in support of that strategy over the coming years. This objective remains nevertheless valid, although the timeframe for addressing some of the most critical issues, such as the high rate of extreme poverty, vulnerability, and food insecurity may now be accelerated. 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The increase in poverty closely followed the accelerating inflation during 2008 causing vulnerable groups to be particularly affected by the economic turbulence. Despite these setbacks, some of the gains from the rapid growth between 2005 and 2008 were sustained over the crisis period. Policies aimed at helping households withstand the effects of the crisis were however not sufficient to prevent an increase in poverty. The crisis exposed underlying vulnerabilities in Egypt s social protection system. Finally, the adverse effects of food price shocks on the real incomes of Egypt s poor point to the need for further analytical work on labor markets, in particular wage policy, as part of the social risk management framework.Publication Armenia : Poverty Update(Washington, DC, 2002-12-09)The report updates the poverty situation in Armenia, largely based on the Integrated Living Conditions Survey conducted during 1998-99, and provides as well, the foundation for the preparation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. The poverty profile identifies a widespread, and still deep poverty incidence, but while this poverty seems persistent, its depth and severity may be decreasing, and extreme poverty subsiding. Notwithstanding the fact that estimates point to a stabilization of the poverty profile, there are identified population groups facing particularly high poverty risk, i.e., very young children and the elderly, unemployed and adults not participating in the labor market, and people residing in high altitude and earthquake regions. Factors behind the persistence of poverty in Armenia are: low income and high inequality in its distribution; growth which did not generate sufficient employment opportunities; and, the impact of the Russian crisis during the period under review. 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The report quantifies the level of deprivation and the gains in poverty reduction and overall welfare improvements in different segments of Bulgaria's population. The study aims to support policy discourse on poverty reduction and strengthening of social protection by providing a robust assessment of living conditions among various individual, household, geographic, and socioeconomic groups and of the actual and likely future effectiveness of current poverty reduction policies. The report is organized as follows. Section two examines welfare trends between 2003 and 2007, decomposes changes in poverty, and links poverty outcomes to growth. In section three, the poverty profile is presented based on the results of the 2007 Multitopic Household Survey (MTHS) data. Correlates and determinants of consumption expenditures are presented in section four. Annex A provides a detailed account of the concept of poverty and the methodology used for measuring poverty in this report. Annex B presents supplementary data.Publication Nicaragua Poverty Assessment : Challenges and Opportunities for Poverty Reduction, Volume 1. Main Report(Washington, DC, 2001-02-21)The purpose of this Poverty Assessment is to provide background material and analysis that will assist the Government in designing this strategy, but it is not itself designed to formulate the strategy. Chapter 1 looks at the macro situation in historical perspective, including structural reform during the 1990s, and the current debt and balance of payments situation. Chapter 2 examines poverty in Nicaragua today and during 1993-98 and includes the results of a qualitative assessment of poverty. Chapter 3 looks at public expenditures in the social sectors and their impact on poverty. Chapter 4 looks at rural poverty and agriculture, while Chapter 5 lays out key issues that would be important to address in a poverty reduction strategy. Some key priorities emerge from the analysis that should be considered: 1) Broad-based growth is essential to reduce poverty. 2) Poverty reduction is limited by population growth. 3) Sustaining rural income growth. 4) Improvements are needed in the public sector to build strong programs that reach the poor. 5) Foreign capital inflows distort expenditures. 6) Donors share the responsibility with the Government to reconsider priorities in order to ensure greater impact of development assistance on poverty reduction. 7) Sustaining the provision of basic social services and building human capital. 8) Establishing effective social protection mechanisms for the poor.
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