The challenges associated with poverty measurement with a cardinal variable have received due attention during the last four decades, but there is a dearth of literature studying how to meaningfully assess poverty with an ordinal variable. This paper first proposes a class of simple, intuitive...

We investigate the factors driving Bolivia's success in reducing inequality and poverty during the last 15 years. Our evidence suggests that the reduction was driven mainly by labor income growth at the bottom end of the income distribution. Increases in non-labor income (rents, transfers,...

Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to inclusive growth? We look at four key case studies across advanced and emerging markets-the Nordics, India, Brazil, and Egypt-to try to answer this question. We highlight qualitatively in these countries the key components of inclusive growth models,...

This report documents the progress South Africa has made in reducing poverty and inequality since the end of apartheid in 1994, with a focus on the period between 2006 and 2015. The main conclusions are as follows: First, by any measure, South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the...

Around the world, countries use a wide variety of poverty measurement methodologies. A common method used to measure poverty is based on levels of consumption - a person is considered poor if his or her consumption level falls below some minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This note...

The previous decade in Egypt was marked by major internal and external shocks that have surely had severe implications for the evolution of the population's welfare. In recent years, social, political, and economic changes have transformed the landscape of the Egyptian society. On January 2011,...