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Climbing up the ladder and watching out for the fall: Poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh

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  • Ahmed, Akhter
  • Tauseef, Salauddin

Abstract

This paper analyzes poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh using a nationally representative panel dataset of 5,260 rural households interviewed in 2011/12 and 2015. We find that education, savings, assets, non-farm employment, substantial safety net transfers, and women’s empowerment are key factors in breaking persistent poverty; and savings, non-farm engagement, and substantial safety net transfers prevent households from falling into poverty. The results are consistent across multinomial logit, logit, and simultaneous quantile regression models. Thus, policies and programs that address the determinants of persistent and transient poverty identified in this study hold promise for sustained poverty reduction in rural Bangladesh.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmed, Akhter & Tauseef, Salauddin, 2018. "Climbing up the ladder and watching out for the fall: Poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh," IFPRI discussion papers 1791, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:1791
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Homma, Kirara & Islam, Abu Hayat Md. Saiful & Matsuura, Masanori & Legesse Debela, Bethelhem, 2024. "Weather shocks and child nutritional status in rural Bangladesh: Does labor allocation have a role to play?," DARE Discussion Papers 2401, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
    3. Rishi Kumar, 2022. "Household poverty dynamics in tribal Madhya Pradesh, India: A case study of 54 villages," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(2), pages 184-203, June.
    4. Masanori Matsuura‐Kannari & Yir‐Hueih Luh & Abu Hayat Md. Saiful Islam, 2023. "Weather shocks, livelihood diversification, and household food security: Empirical evidence from rural Bangladesh," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(4), pages 455-470, July.
    5. Islam, Masanori Matsuura Yir-Huieh Luh Abu Hayat Md. Saiful, 2021. "Climate Variability, Livelihood Diversification, and Household Food Security in Bangladesh," 2021 ASAE 10th International Conference (Virtual), January 11-13, Beijing, China 329402, Asian Society of Agricultural Economists (ASAE).
    6. Archana Dang & Mausumi Das & Indrani Gupta, 2023. "COVID-19 And The Unequal Distribution Of Poverty Risks: Evidence From Urban India," IEG Working Papers 458, Institute of Economic Growth.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    BANGLADESH; SOUTH ASIA; ASIA; poverty; households; gender; women; off farm employment; social protection; social safety net; empowerment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets

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