IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/une/wpaper/17.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Poverty and Inequality in Eastern Europe and the CIS Transition Economies

Author

Listed:
  • Mihaly Simai

Abstract

This paper deals with the causes and consequences of inequality and poverty in the countries east of the new frontiers of the European Union, mainly with the CIS countries. Poverty and inequalities in the former socialist countries were partly mitigated by the social policies of the state. The transition processes, however, have resulted in new distributions of income and wealth. The new structural sources of poverty and inequalities have often been more extreme. Some CIS countries have moderated poverty, which nonetheless persists in most CIS countries, in spite of some economic improvements.

Suggested Citation

  • Mihaly Simai, 2006. "Poverty and Inequality in Eastern Europe and the CIS Transition Economies," Working Papers 17, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    • Handle: RePEc:une:wpaper:17
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2006/wp17_2006.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ksenia Yudaeva, 2002. "Globalization and Inequality in CIS Countries: Role of Institutions," Working Papers w0025, Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR).
    2. de Melo, Martha & Denizer, Cevdet & Gelb, Alan & Tenev, Stoyan, 1997. "Circumstance and choice : the role of initial conditions and policies in transition economies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1866, The World Bank.
    3. Sonin, Konstantin, 2003. "Why the rich may favor poor protection of property rights," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 715-731, December.
    4. S. Fisher & R. Sahay & C. A. Vegh, 1997. "Stabilization and Growth in Transition Economies: The Early Experience," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, vol. 5.
    5. Randall K. Filer & Jan Hanousek, 2002. "Data Watch: Research Data from Transition Economies," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 16(1), pages 225-240, Winter.
    6. Sachs, J.D. & Woo, W.T., 1994. "Structural Factors in the Economic Reforms of China, Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union," Papers 94-01, California Davis - Institute of Governmental Affairs.
    7. Yuri Andrienko & Sergei Guriev, 2004. "Determinants of interregional mobility in Russia," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, March.
    8. Sachs, Jeffrey D. & Warner, Andrew M., 1996. "Achieving Rapid Growth in the Transition Economies of Central Europe," Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) Papers 294091, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government.
    9. Micklewright, John & Klugman, Jeni & Redmond, Gerry, 2002. "Poverty in the Transition: Social Expenditures and the Working-Age Poor," CEPR Discussion Papers 3389, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Burawoy, Michael, 1996. "The state and economic involution: Russia through a China lens," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 1105-1117, June.
    11. de Melo, Martha & Denizer, Cevdet & Gelb, Alan, 1996. "From plan to market : patterns of transition," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1564, The World Bank.
    12. Mikhalev, V., 2000. "Inequality and Transformation of Social Structures in Transitional Economies," Research Paper 52, World Institute for Development Economics Research.
    13. Alexander Vorobyov & Stanislav Zhukov, 2000. "Russia: Globalization, Structural Shifts and Inequality," SCEPA working paper series. 2000-09, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA), The New School.
    14. Mr. Stanley Fischer & Mr. Carlos A. Végh Gramont & Ms. Ratna Sahay, 1996. "Stabilization and Growth in Transition Economies: The Early Experience," IMF Working Papers 1996/031, International Monetary Fund.
    15. Stanley Fischer & Alan Gelb, 1991. "The Process of Socialist Economic Transformation," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 5(4), pages 91-105, Fall.
    16. Ksenia Yudaeva, 2002. "Globalization and Inequality in CIS Countries: Role of Institutions," Working Papers w0025, New Economic School (NES).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Vesselin Mintchev & Venelin Boshnakov & Alexander Naydenov, 2010. "Sources of Income Inequality: Empirical Evidence from Bulgaria," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 4, pages 39-64.
    2. Ken Roberts & Maria-Carmen Pantea & Dan-Cristian Dabija, 2023. "Education-to-Work Transitions in Former Communist Countries after 30-Plus Years of Transformation," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Easterlin, Richard A., 2009. "Lost in transition: Life satisfaction on the road to capitalism," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 130-145, August.
    4. Isabel Ortiz & Matthew Cummins, 2011. "Global Inequality: Beyond the Bottom Billion – A Rapid Review of Income Distribution in 141 Countries," Working papers 1102, UNICEF,Division of Policy and Strategy.
    5. Facundo Alvaredo & Leonardo Gasparini, 2013. "Recent Trends in Inequality and Poverty in Developing Countries," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0151, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    6. Cerami, Alfio, 2007. "Social Change and Welfare State Developments in CEE and Russia," MPRA Paper 8479, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Joan Costa-i-Font & Lucia Kossarova, 2014. "Anthropometric Dividends of Czechoslovakia's Break Up," CESifo Working Paper Series 5081, CESifo.
    8. Julia Fimpel & Michael Stolpe, 2010. "The welfare costs of HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe: an empirical assessment using the economic value-of-life approach," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 11(3), pages 305-322, June.
    9. Rebecca Jean Emigh & Cynthia Feliciano & Corey O’Malley & David Cook-Martín, 2018. "The Effect of State Transfers on Poverty in Post-Socialist Eastern Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 138(2), pages 545-574, July.
    10. Ainura Uzagalieva & Antonio Menezes, 2009. "The poverty effect of remittance flows: evidence from Georgia," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 453-474.
    11. Joan Costa-i-Font & Lucia Kossarova, 2015. "Anthropometric Dividends of Czechoslovakia’s Break Up," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 95, European Institute, LSE.
    12. Aziz Atamanov & Matthias Luecke & Toman Omar Mahmoud & Roman Mogilevsky & Kseniya Tereshchenko & Natalia A. Tourdyeva & Ainura Uzagalieva & Vitaly Vavryschuk, 2009. "Income and Distribution Effects of Migration and Remittances: an Analysis Based on CGE Models for Selected CIS Countries," CASE Network Reports 0086, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
    13. Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan & Jacob Assa, 2021. "Poverty in “Transition”: 30 Years After and in the Pandemic," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 80(4), pages 1233-1258, September.
    14. Costa-Font, Joan & Kossarova, Lucia, 2014. "Anthropometric dividends of Czechoslovakia’s break up," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60719, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Olgica Ivančev & Milena Jovičić & Tijana Milojević, 2010. "Income Inequality and Social Policy in Serbia," wiiw Balkan Observatory Working Papers 86, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    16. Fimpel, Julia & Stolpe, Michael, 2006. "The welfare costs of HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe: An empirical assessment using the economic value-of-life approach," Kiel Working Papers 1297, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lawrence P. King, 2003. "Explaining Postcommunist Economic Performance," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 2003-559, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    2. Nauro F. Campos & Abrizio Coricelli, 2002. "Growth in Transition: What We Know, What We Don't, and What We Should," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(3), pages 793-836, September.
    3. Lawrence King & Patrick Hamm, 2005. "Privatization and State Capacity in Postcommunist Society," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp806, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    4. Thorsten Beck & Luc Laeven, 2006. "Institution building and growth in transition economies," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 157-186, June.
    5. Karsten Staehr, 2005. "Reforms and Economic Growth in Transition Economies: Complementarity, Sequencing and Speed," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 2(2), pages 177-202, December.
    6. Anders Åslund & Peter Boone & Simon Johnson, 1996. "How to Stabilize: Lessons from Post-communist Countries," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 27(1), pages 217-314.
    7. Facchini, Giovanni & Segnana, Maria Luigia, 2003. "Growth at the EU periphery: the next enlargement," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 827-862.
    8. Ariane Tichit, 1998. "Reprise économique dans les pays post-communistes : application d'un modèle de durée," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 136(5), pages 73-92.
    9. Cevdet Denizer & Holger C. Wolf, 1998. "Household Savings in Transition Economies," NBER Working Papers 6457, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Fidrmuc, Jan, 2003. "Economic reform, democracy and growth during post-communist transition," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 583-604, September.
    11. Roberto Orro Fernández, 2001. "Economic and Political Liberalization in Former Socialist Countries: Implications for Cuba," Annual Proceedings, The Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy, vol. 11.
    12. repec:zbw:bofitp:2005_011 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. János Gács, 1999. "Teilprojekt 2: Macroeconomic Developments in the Candidate Countries with Respect to the Accession Process," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 13584, April.
    14. Neil Foster-McGregor & Robert Stehrer, 2005. "Modelling GDP in CEECs Using Smooth Transitions," wiiw Working Papers 36, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    15. J. Fidrmuc & J. Fidrmuc, 2000. "Macroeconomic Developments in the Czech Republic and the EU Accession Process," Working Papers ir00008, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
    16. John Tomer, 2002. "Intangible Factors in the Eastern European Transition: A Socio-Economic Analysis," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 421-444.
    17. J. Fidrmuc & J. Fidrmuc, 2000. "Macroeconomic Developments in Slovakia and the EU Accession Process," Working Papers ir00007, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
    18. Merlevede, Bruno & Schoors, Koen, 2005. "On the speed of economic reform : tale of the tortoise and the hare," BOFIT Discussion Papers 11/2005, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    19. Merlevede, Bruno & Schoors, Koen, 2005. "On the speed of economic reform: tale of the tortoise and the hare," BOFIT Discussion Papers 11/2005, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    20. Rozelle, Scott & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2000. "Transition And Agriculture," Working Papers 11948, University of California, Davis, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    21. Patrick Hamm & David Stuckler & Lawrence King, 2010. "The Governance Grenade: Mass Privatization, State Capacity and Economic Growth in Post-communist Countries," Working Papers wp222, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    transition; Central and Eastern Europe; CIS countries; transformation; poverty; inequality; social policy; health; education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:une:wpaper:17. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Aimee Gao (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/desunus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.