Oil and energy markets have experienced dramatic changes over the past two decades-steep price increases in the 1970s and 1980s followed by a decrease in 1986 and large declines in demand in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. But despite considerable uncertainty about future...

In this paper we attempt to answer three questions. Using conventional indicators as a guide what are Bangladesh's prospects in sharply accelerating growth? What lessons can be derived from the experience of East Asian countries especially with repect to nonfarm development? Can these lessons be...

Households in developing countries adopt livelihood strategies that often rely on income from a diversity of sources. From a policy perspective it therefore becomes important to understand the relative importance of income sources in driving inter-household inequality and poverty.

This study uses the Viet Nam Living Standards Survey of 1992-93 to examine the association between household living standards and the level of access to various infrastructural services.

The alleviation of poverty has been the prime objective of small-scale targeted credit programs such as the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. Based on household survey data, this paper concludes that these programs can play an important role in both lesing poverty and sustaining household welfare on a...

The alleviation of poverty has been the prime objective of small-scale targeted credit programs such as the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. Based on household survey data, this paper concludes that these programs can play an important role in both lesing poverty and sustaining household welfare on a...

Since reducing poverty is one of the major development challenges facing India, the country has introduced a wide range of economic reforms, including a direct anti-poverty program, the Public Distribution System (PDS). This quantity-rationing food subsidy program has contributed to the upward...

Government and the private sector have complementary roles in promoting development and in fighting poverty.

A poverty line helps focus the attention of governments and civil society on the living conditions of the poor. In practice, there is typically not one monetary poverty line but many, reflecting the fact that poverty lines serve two distinct role. One role is to determine what the minimum level...

This paper is concerned with the derivation of a welfare indicator for households from consumption data. It examines, illustrating with reference to data for ecuador, several of the steps involved in contructing consumption aggregates and highlights some of the principles which should guide the...