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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | The Challenge of Poverty Reduction in Africa |
Author: | Ali, Ali Abdel Gadir |
Year: | 1999 |
Periodical: | Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review (ISSN 1027-1775) |
Volume: | 15 |
Issue: | 2 |
Period: | June |
Pages: | 79-103 |
Language: | English |
Notes: | biblio. refs. |
Geographic term: | Africa |
Subjects: | poverty Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Economics and Trade Economics, Commerce Poverty alleviation Statistical data Economic analysis government policy |
Abstract: | Using most recent income distribution data this paper provides a set of alternative estimates on poverty in Africa. The results are reported for two major regions of the continent: North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using appropriate poverty lines it is shown that about 44 percent of the population of Africa live below a real poverty line of about 39 US dollars per person per month. In North Africa the incidence of poverty is lower with a head count ratio of 20 percent for a poverty line of 60 US dollars per person per month. By contrast, in SSA about 50 percent of the population live below a real poverty line of 34 US dollars per person per month. Further, it is shown that the incidence of poverty in rural Africa is higher than in urban areas. The paper then explores the implications of achieving the objective of reducing poverty by half by the year 2015. Required GDP growth rates and required external finance are reported. The policy implications of these requirements are drawn with the basic message being that innovative development efforts are needed beyond the current preoccupation with management of economies in crisis. App., bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. |