Publication: Tonga - Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024: Navigating Turbulent Waves Toward Sustained Poverty Reduction
Loading...
Date
2024-10-10
ISSN
Published
2024-10-10
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Tonga’s economic growth, historically weak due to structural factors facing many Pacific Island countries, has been particularly sluggish in recent years due to several large shocks. Tropical cyclones in 2018 and 2020, border restrictions and surging inflation due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HT-HH) volcanic eruption all have battered the population and have potentially reversed previous welfare gains. This World Bank Poverty and Equity Assessment (PEA) report aims to fill critical knowledge gaps regarding the extent, nature, and drivers of poverty and inequality in Tonga. The report extensively utilizes the 2021 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) in Tonga and the official monetary poverty estimate from the survey. The 2021 HIES is the first survey containing significant welfare information that was entirely fielded after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and can more fully illustrate some of the pandemic’s impacts. To estimate the change in monetary poverty, the report utilizes the 2015/16 HIES to impute the monetary poverty estimate in that year given that the government did not report an official monetary poverty estimate from the survey. In addition to identifying poverty and inequality patterns, this report highlights several thematic topics to which information from the HIES can contribute and inform the ongoing policy dialog. These topics include vulnerability of the population to shocks, human capital development, and social protection systems.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2024. Tonga - Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024: Navigating Turbulent Waves Toward Sustained Poverty Reduction. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42237 License: CC BY-NC 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 Republic of South Sudan - Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-12-16)This poverty assessment has confirmed that poverty is endemic and food insecurity dire in South Sudan despite the country’s abundant wealth in natural resources. The report finds widespread and extreme poverty that stems from a combination of historical and systemic problems, including persistent conflicts and violence, the absence of the state, and poor governance and economic management aggravated by extreme and recurrent natural disasters. The assessment makes clear that household strategies to cope with or guard against risk often exacerbate vulnerability. The capacity of most South Sudanese to withstand future shocks is severely limited or entirely depleted. The prevailing socioeconomic system has consistently eroded the living standards of the South Sudanese. It is therefore critical to change course and do things differently to reduce poverty and build resilience. The report concludes that addressing conflict and state failure is critical for strengthening and rebuilding the livelihoods of conflict-affected people.Publication Insights from High Frequency Phone Surveys in Tonga(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-06)The development objective of the Pacific Observatory is to improve welfare for the poor and vulnerable in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Island Countries throughexpanding socio-economic information for better data-driven policymaking.Publication Lebanon Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024 - Weathering a Protracted Crisis(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-29)This report provides an assessment of the current state of poverty and inequality in Lebanon. It documents the impact of a protracted economic crisis on households, that is well into its fifth year, along with their responses and investigates how the crisis has potentially affected labor market dynamics in the country. The report aims to be a resource for policymakers, researchers, and organizations working to identify and address the multifaceted socioeconomic challenges in Lebanon.Publication Kazakhstan Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-06)The economy of Kazakhstan has performed strongly since the turn of the century, growing at an annual rate of 4.7 percent from 2006 to 2021. Sustained economic and productivity growth brought higher incomes and a period of prosperity. Between 2006 and 2021, the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) (in constant LCU) rose from 548,912 to 791,285 tenge, and household consumption per capita (in constant LCU) rose from 279,891 to 500,529 tenge. As poverty fell and living standards rose, the country transitioned from lower-middle-income to upper-middle-income status. Disparities persist, although poverty fell significantly in all regions of Kazakhstan. The demographic profile of poverty has also changed, as poor people are now more likely to be younger, less educated, and have larger families. Chronic poverty, defined as consistent poverty over time, also decreased significantly, with rates of chronic poverty dropping by 37 percent (from 8.4 to 5.3 percent) between 2011-13 and 2019-21. The main driver of poverty reduction has been consumption growth. Income inequality has increased since 2016 but remains low relative to other upper-middle-income countries.Publication Guidance Manual for Independent Evaluation Group Validators(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Implementation Completion and Results Report (ICR) is one of the World Bank’s main instruments for self-evaluation. This manual provides comprehensive guidance and practice examples to evaluators for the preparation of the Implementation Completion and Results Reports Reviews (ICRRs) for investment project financing operations (IPFs). It ensures that these reviews align with the Bank Policy on “Implementation Completion and Results Reports
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication The Pacific Atoll Countries Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-21)This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores the unique climate change challenge faced by the Pacific Atoll Countries (Pacific Atolls), the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Tuvalu. It explores the key sources of climate vulnerability, as well as the development and adaptation strategies that are needed for preserving livelihoods, ecosystems, and the countries’ long-term viability. The Pacific Atolls confront some of the most severe existential threats from climate change of any region in the world. This CCDR notes the urgent need for action on the part of each island country and the global community of nations in the face of severe climate change impacts. The CCDR provides the Pacific Atolls with near- and medium-term options to help them reach their long-term adaptation and development goals while also helping to reduce knowledge gaps on associated costs. These options include strengthening institutions, enhancing legal and regulatory frameworks, building human capital, and improving participation and consensus-driven decision making. It provides analysis of investments that could be used to protect islands from sea-level rise, safeguard water and energy supplies, and build the resilience and mobility of citizens. Increased domestic and international mobility is expected as citizens seek safer environments and economic opportunities. The CCDR shows that better education, health, and citizen engagement as well as traditional culture can support mobility and build a strong foundation for social and economic inclusion. Starting with an assessment of the Pacific Atolls’ unique vulnerabilities (Chapter 1), the CCDR assesses governments’ climate commitments and capacities (Chapter 2). It then presents options for adaptation that could address vulnerabilities and improve capacities (Chapter 3) before discussing financing opportunities and needs (Chapter 4). The CCDR concludes by presenting priority near, and medium-term policy options and trade-offs (Chapter 5), while recognizing that climate adaptation will require continued efforts well beyond the actions covered in this report.Publication Pacific Economic Update, March 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-03-07)In 2023, growth in the Pacific islands (PIC-11) decelerated but remained robust at 5.5 percent—about two and a half times the long-term average. Fiji’s output surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2023 despite a notable deceleration, with growth rates halving from 20 percent in 2022 to eight percent in 2023. The PIC-11, excluding Fiji, experienced a noteworthy rebound of 2.7 percent growth in 2023, after a 0.5 percent output contraction in 2022. The trajectory of accelerated and sustainable growth in Pacific Island countries depends on a workforce that is well educated and equipped with enhanced skills and capabilities. Boosting education and skills is essential for long-term growth and poverty reduction in the Pacific Island countries. While multiple factors influence learning, once a child enters school, teachers have the largest impact. A robust body of evidence guides policymakers in improving teaching quality and ensuring that all young children acquire strong foundational skills. This report outlines a three-pronged program of action based on this evidence: attracting and recruiting effective teachers, enhancing existing teachers’ capacity, and motivating greater teacher effort. Recognizing that 54 percent of teachers expected to teach in 2035 are already recruited, the report emphasizes a special focus on enhancing the capacity of existing teachers. It provides examples of rigorously evaluated interventions, such as structured pedagogy and access to pre-recorded lectures by highly rated teachers. Implementing these recommendations will aid regional countries in accelerating learning, allowing children and societies to achieve their aspirations.Publication Pacific Economic Update, October 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-15)The World Bank’s Pacific Economic Update provides an assessment of the economies of 11 Pacific Island countries (PIC-11) in part 1 and highlights the potential of investment to broaden the economic horizons of the region in part 2. In 2024, growth across PIC-11 economies is estimated to have slowed significantly to 3.6 percent, following a robust 5.8 percent expansion in 2023. This slowdown reflects the diminishing impact of the post-pandemic recovery, particularly in Fiji, which accounts for over half of the output of the PIC-11. Fiji’s growth is projected to decelerate to 3.1 percent, down sharply from 8 percent in 2023, as economic activity returns to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, Solomon Islands is expected to see more moderate growth of 2.5 percent, compared to 3 percent in 2023, due to structural challenges limiting the economy’s capacity to sustain higher growth rates.Publication World Bank East Asia and the Pacific Economic Update, October 2024: Jobs and Technology(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-07)East Asia and the Pacific, seen in the context of the world economy, stands out as a paragon of development. Despite the recent ravages of the pandemic and the persistent tensions of geopolitics, the region is growing at stably high rates and the benefits are widely shared. But compared to its own past and potential, the region’s economic performance is less impressive. Growth is still below pre-pandemic rates, except in Indonesia, and output has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels in several countries, especially in the Pacific. This Economic Update highlights three key developments: shifting regional growth dynamics as China’s growth slows, changing trade patterns due to global tensions, and the impact of technologies such as robots, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms on jobs. The report calls for productivity-enhancing structural reforms to strengthen domestic growth drivers through; deeper international trade agreements to foster more open and stable trade regimes; deeper technical, digital, and soft skills while addressing impediments to labor mobility, factor price distortions and expanding social protection for workers in the digital informal economy to boost productivity and employment.Publication Global Economic Prospects, June 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-06-11)After several years of negative shocks, global growth is expected to hold steady in 2024 and then edge up in the next couple of years, in part aided by cautious monetary policy easing as inflation gradually declines. However, economic prospects are envisaged to remain tepid, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Risks to the outlook, while more balanced, are still tilted to the downside, including the possibility of escalating geopolitical tensions, further trade fragmentation, and higher-for-longer interest rates. Natural disasters related to climate change could also hinder activity. Subdued growth prospects across many emerging market and developing economies and continued risks underscore the need for decisive policy action at the global and national levels. Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group Flagship Report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.