Economic Growth, Inequality, and Poverty : Findings from a New Data Set

Adams, Richard H., Jr.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ABSOLUTE POVERTY;    ANNUAL RATE;    ASSET INEQUALITY;    AVERAGE ANNUAL;    AVERAGE INCOME;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2972
RP-ID  :  WPS2972

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The author uses new data from 50developing countries and 101 intervals to examine the impactof economic growth on poverty and inequality. He finds thatgrowth represents an important means for reducing poverty inthe developing world. When economic growth is measured bysurvey mean income (consumption), there is a strong,statistical link between growth and poverty reduction. Wheneconomic growth is measured by GDP per capita, thestatistical relationship between growth and povertyreduction is still present, albeit not quite as strong.Economic growth reduces poverty because growth has littleimpact on income inequality. In the data set incomeinequality rises on average less than 1.0 percent a year.Since income distributions are relatively stable over time,economic growth tends to raise incomes for all members ofsociety, including the poor. When growth is measured bysurvey mean income (consumption), the elasticity of povertywith respect to growth is -2.59. In other words, on average,a 10 percentage point increase in economic growth (measuredby survey mean income) will produce a 25.9 percent decreasein the proportion of people living in poverty ($1 a person a day).