Poverty: What Have We Learnt? Experiences and Lessons from Asia

This chapter examines different aspects of economic policy and considers how these relate to the goal of poverty reduction. Whilst economic growth is a central requirement for a sustained reduction in poverty (at least when defined in income terms), the form this growth takes will have a crucial bearing on outcomes for the poor. Hence considerable attention has been focused on the most effective means of intervening to both ensure that the poor share disproportionately in the fruits of the growth process (so-called pro-poor growth) and to protect the poor and vulnerable from the effects of short-term shocks that affect an economy negatively. This chapter assesses some of the lessons that can be learnt from recent experience, with particular emphasis on Asia, partly because a majority of the world’s poor are located there and partly because the region has seen a great diversity of experience in poverty reduction over recent decades.