The Chronic Poverty Report 2004-05

THE CHRONIC POVERTY report is the first of its kind. It was produced by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre, which seeks to promote a more nuanced understanding of poverty, and to emphasize that there is a group of the poor who remain in poverty, year after year. The report is divided into three sections. The first looks at global themes and issues, and the second reports on five regions: sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, transitional countries and China. The third section is a statistical appendix that explains how the estimates were arrived at. The text is illustrated with photographs and diagrams.

The report begins with a discussion of the definitions of chronic poverty. The authors consider issues of duration, the transition away from poverty, and the multi-dimensionality of poverty. Despite the evident difficulties in obtaining reliable figures, the report includes estimates of the numbers living in chronic poverty and the location of these individuals. The second chapter looks at the social characteristics of the chronically poor, and the ways in which “discrimination reinforces disadvantage”. This is followed by a consideration of the spatial dimensions of chronic poverty, and the ways in which poverty is reinforced by issues such as distance to services, lack of institutions and difficulties in securing livelihoods. Chapter 4 analyzes the “drivers” and “maintainers” of chronic poverty, and Chapter 5 looks at how chronic poverty can be reduced. The authors argue that a first step is livelihood security with a strong emphasis on social protection. Further measures include special efforts to address child poverty and the inter-generational transmission of poverty; and an emphasis on good health and health services as a way of preventing the inroads into income that can result in chronic poverty. Consideration is also given to the role of the MDGs, and the potential contribution of international development assistance.

The regional chapters follow a similar format, adjusted for significant themes and information. Each chapter looks at the trends in poverty within that region, and the nature and extent of the problem of chronic poverty. A final sub-section within each chapter looks at chronic poverty in rural and urban areas.