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Social Science > Poverty and Homelessness

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 29 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Measurement and Analysis of Poverty x
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Cover Selected Issues Papers
Macroeconomic and Distributional Implications of Gender Gaps: The Gambia
Mamadou D Barry
,
Momodou Jallow
,
Glen Kwende
, and
Vivian Malta
We present the current status of labor market gender gaps in The Gambia and examine the macroeconomic and distributional gains from closing the gaps. We also study the impacts of high costs of living and the determinants of poverty. Closing labor market gender gaps, would significantly boost GDP, government revenues, women’s earnings, and reduce income inequality. High food costs adversely affect the levels of consumption in the bottom four quartiles of the income distribution. Lack of access to finance, living in rural areas, lack of employment, low levels of education, and exposure to climate shocks contribute to higher poverty levels.
Keywords:
Inflation; monetary policy rate; oil prices; food prices; fertilizer prices; exchange rates; labor market gender gaps; determinants of poverty; cost of food; women employment status; gender equality outcome; per-capita household consumption; Women; Gender inequality; Gender diversity; Consumption; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Inequality and Poverty in India: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Policy Response
Ms. Elif C Arbatli Saxegaard
,
Mattia Coppo
,
Nasser Khalil
,
Shinya Kotera
, and
Ms. Filiz D Unsal
Using microdata from nationally representative household and labor force surveys, we study the impact and drivers of poverty and inequality in India during the pandemic. We have three main findings. First, India has made significant progress in reducing poverty in recent decades, but the economic downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to have temporarily increased poverty and inequality. Second, education and employment status seem to be the main factors associated with poverty and income/consumption changes. Finally, the government’s expansion of food subsidies has likely played a significant role in mitigating the increase in poverty during the pandemic.
Keywords:
COVID-19; poverty; inequality; earnings; India; employment status; CPHS datum; poverty in India; consumption inequality; inequality in India; Annex II; Income; Income inequality; Consumption; Global; South Asia
Cover IMF Working Papers
Rising Child Poverty in Europe: Mitigating the Scarring from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mr. Jean-Jacques Hallaert
,
Iglika Vassileva
, and
Tingyun Chen
Child poverty increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 alone, the number of children suffering from poverty in the EU increased by 19 percent, or close to 1 million. Left unaddressed, this would not only affect individuals’ life prospects and well-being but also have long-term economic implications. This paper argues that, to limit this potential scarring effect of the pandemic, policies should be deployed to reduce rapidly the number of children affected by poverty and mitigate the long-term impact of poverty. Reducing the number of children affected by poverty can be achieved by (i) labor policies and reforms that increase parental work and the labor income of poor parents and (ii) fiscal spending on family and children that can have a powerful and immediate impact. These policies need to be complemented by public investment in education and childcare, health, and housing to mitigate the long-term impact of child poverty.
Keywords:
child poverty; EU assistance; scarring effect; C. measuring poverty; summary plot; labor income; COVID-19; Income; Poverty reduction; Social protection spending; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India
Surjit Bhalla
,
Karan Bhasin
, and
Mr. Arvind Virmani
The paper presents estimates of poverty [extreme poverty PPP$1.9 and PPP$3.2] and consumption inequality in India for each of the years 2004-5 through the pandemic year 2020-21. These estimates include, for the first time, the effect of in-kind food subsides on poverty and inequality. Extreme poverty was as low as 0.8 percent in the pre-pandemic year 2019, and food transfers were instrumental in ensuring that it remained at that low level in pandemic year 2020. Post-food subsidy inequality at .294 is now very close to its lowest level 0.284 observed in 1993/94.
Keywords:
Poverty Measurement; Pandemic; food transfer; consumption inequality; consumption expenditure; poverty PPP; estimates of poverty; Consumption; Income inequality; Agricultural commodities; Household consumption; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Winning the War? New Evidence on the Measurement and the Determinants of Poverty in the United States
Katharina Bergant
,
Miss Anke Weber
, and
Andrea Medici
Using micro-data from household expenditure surveys, we document the evolution of consumption poverty in the United States over the last four decades. Employing a price index that appears appropriate for low income households, we show that poverty has not declined materially since the 1980s and even increased for the young. We then analyze which social and economic factors help explain the extent of poverty in the U.S. using probit, tobit, and machine learning techniques. Our results are threefold. First, we identify the poor as more likely to be minorities, without a college education, never married, and living in the Midwest. Second, the importance of some factors, such as race and ethnicity, for determining poverty has declined over the last decades but they remain significant. Third, we find that social and economic factors can only partially capture the likelihood of being poor, pointing to the possibility that random factors (“bad luck”) could play a significant role.
Keywords:
Poverty; Inequality; Consumption; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs; consumption poverty; determinants of poverty; poverty indicator; poverty threshold; CPI assumption; inflation inequality; adjusted CPI-U; Poverty measurement; Income; Machine learning; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Links Between Growth, Inequality, and Poverty: A Survey
Ms. Valerie Cerra
,
Mr. Ruy Lama
, and
Norman Loayza
Is there a tradeoff between raising growth and reducing inequality and poverty? This paper reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the complex links between growth, inequality, and poverty, with causation going in both directions. The evidence suggests that growth can be effective in reducing poverty, but its impact on inequality is ambiguous and depends on the underlying sources of growth. The impact of poverty and inequality on growth is likewise ambiguous, as several channels mediate the relationship. But most plausible mechanisms suggest that poverty and inequality reduce growth, at least in the long run. Policies play a role in shaping these relationships and those designed to improve equality of opportunity can simultaneously improve inclusiveness and growth.
Keywords:
Growth; Inequality; Poverty; Income Distribution; Economic Development; Inclusive Growth; unbalanced growth; public goods; poverty-reducing effect; family income; poverty ratio; growth breeds poverty; poverty headcount ratio; Income inequality; Income; Poverty reduction; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Poverty and Social Protection in Bulgaria
Mr. Jean-Jacques Hallaert
Absolute poverty has dropped markedly in Bulgaria but income inequality has increased substantially in the aftermath of the GFC. This increase is due to a rise in market income inequality that was compounded by a reduction in fiscal redistribution. The redistributive role of direct taxation has declined with the introduction of a flat tax and social spending is relatively low and decreasing (as a share of GDP), is concentrated on a few social risks, and experienced a decline in its redistributive efficiency. The COVID-19 crisis is likely to deepen income inequality, increasing the room for redistributive policies.
Keywords:
WP; share ratio; EU average; EU spending; inequality in Bulgaria; test level; cash income; Income inequality; Income; Income distribution; Fiscal redistribution; Europe; Eastern Europe; Inequality; Poverty; Social Protection; Bulgaria; European Union
Cover Staff Discussion Notes
Inequality and Poverty across Generations in the European Union
Tingyun Chen
,
Mr. Jean-Jacques Hallaert
,
Mr. Alexander Pitt
,
Mr. Haonan Qu
,
Mr. Maximilien Queyranne
,
Ms. Alaina P Rhee
,
Ms. Anna Shabunina
,
Mr. Jerome Vandenbussche
, and
Irene Yackovlev
This SDN studies the evolution of inequality across age groups leading up to and since the global financial crisis, as well as implications for fiscal and labor policies. Europe’s population is aging, child and youth poverty are rising, and income support systems are often better equipped to address old-age poverty than the challenges faced by poor children and/or unemployed youth today.
Keywords:
SDN; youth poverty; youth unemployment; IMF staff calculation; absolute poverty; labor market policy; Inequality; Poverty; Europe; Redistribution; income inequality; personal income; labor market institution; Income inequality; Personal income; Aging; Unemployment; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Inclusive Growth Framework
Mr. Alexei P Kireyev
and
Jingyang Chen
The paper suggests an operationally usable framework for the evaluation of growth inclusiveness—the inclusive growth framework (IGF). Based on the data on growth, poverty, and inequality, the framework allows for the quantitative assessment of growth inclusiveness. The assessment relies on the decomposition of the change in poverty into growth, distribution, and decile effects, which can be calculated using the Distributive Analysis Stata Package (DASP). Availability of at least two household surveys is the main precondition for the use of the IGF. The application of the IGF is illustrated with two country cases of Senegal and Djibouti.
Keywords:
WP; poverty rate; confidence interval; Lorenz curve; growth; inclusiveness; inequality; povery reduction; incidence curve; poverty gap; growth effect; poverty data; distribution effect; poverty change measure; headcount poverty index; Income inequality; Personal income; Inclusive growth; Poverty reduction; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Growth Inclusiveness in Djibouti
Mr. Alexei P Kireyev
The paper examines the poverty-reducing and distributional characteristics of Djibouti’s economic growth, and discusses policies that might help make growth more inclusive. It covers the period between 2002 and 2013, for which comparable household surveys are available. The main findings are that while in the past decade the overall level of poverty in Djibouti declined, there have been no clear signs of improvements in either equality or growth inclusiveness. Growth has not been inclusive and benefitted mainly those in the upper part of the income distribution. These conclusions should be treated as indicative. Progress in poverty reduction and inclusiveness would require not only sustained high growth but also the creation of opportunities in sectors with high earning potential for the poor. Better targeted social policies and more attention to the regional distribution of spending would also help reduce poverty and improve inclusiveness.
Keywords:
WP; growth rate; confidence interval; growth; inclusiveness; Djibouti; inequality; povery reduction; poverty gap; household survey; food poverty line; decile ratio; Lorenz curve; Income inequality; Poverty reduction; Income; Global; Sub-Saharan Africa