The poor and the poorest: some interim findings.

  • Lipton M
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Abstract

This paper brings together information from 4 working papers on the characteristics of the poor and the poorest. The papers deal with 1) nutrition 2) the control of and returns to labor land and physical and human capital and 3) demography. The original findings were based on studies of about 30 villages in rainfed areas of western India and northern Nigeria but macro- and micro-data from many developing areas were used for later modifications. The World Banks projects and policies like those of other donors and of governments in developing countries have often benefited "the poor" but have seldom reached the ultra-poor. Almost all of these people are in households in the bottom quintile of income per person in their country. They have so little income that they are at nutritional risk. Can such people be reached by projects and policies let alone by the Bank group? If so how? Sharp discontinuities exist between poor and ultra-poor but not between poor and non-poor. These differences--especially in regard to labor market and demographic behaviors and responses--are related to income-linked nutritional risks incurred often lifelong by ultra-poor households only. This does not prove that policies aimed at raising productivity among the poor do not help the ultra-poor but it does strongly suggest that the ultra-poor may require different policies in particular "calories and health 1st" if they are to be able to raise their productivity.

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APA

Lipton, M. (1988). The poor and the poorest: some interim findings. World Bank Discussion Papers. Retrieved from http://www.popline.org/node/363310

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