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Geography of public service delivery in rural Ethiopia

Author

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  • Abate, Gashaw T.
  • Dereje, Mekdim
  • Hirvonen, Kalle
  • Minten, Bart

Abstract

Remote areas are often characterized by lower welfare outcomes due to economic disadvantages and higher transaction costs for trade. But their worse situation may also be linked to worse public service delivery. Relying on large household surveys in rural Ethiopia, we explore this by assessing the association of two measures of remoteness – (1) the distance of villages and primary service centers to district capitals and (2) the distance of households to service centers (the last mile) – with public service delivery in agriculture and health sectors. In the agriculture sector, we document statistically significant and economically meaningful associations between exposure to agriculture extension and the two measures of remoteness. For health extension, only the last mile matters. These differences between the two sectors could be due to the fact that more remote villages tend to have fewer agriculture extension workers who also put in fewer hours than their peers in more connected areas. This does not apply in the health sector. These findings provide valuable inputs for policymakers aiming to improve inclusiveness in poor rural areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Abate, Gashaw T. & Dereje, Mekdim & Hirvonen, Kalle & Minten, Bart, 2019. "Geography of public service delivery in rural Ethiopia," ESSP working papers 133, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:esspwp:133
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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147079
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    Cited by:

    1. Muzhe Pan & Yaofu Huang & Yawen Qin & Xun Li & Wei Lang, 2022. "Problems and Strategies of Allocating Public Service Resources in Rural Areas in the Context of County Urbanization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Yitayew, Asresu & Abdulai, Awudu & Yigezu, Yigezu A., 2023. "The effects of advisory services and technology channeling on farm yields and technical efficiency of wheat farmers in Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. Assefa, Thomas W. & Berhane, Guush & Abate, Gashaw T. & Abay, Kibrom A., 2025. "Fertilizer demand and profitability amid global fuel-food-fertilizer crisis: Evidence from Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    4. Mekdim D. Regassa & Gashaw T. Abate & Zaneta Kubik, 2021. "Incentivising and retaining public servants in remote areas: A discrete choice experiment with agricultural extension agents in Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(3), pages 878-900, September.
    5. Wang, Yahua & Chen, Sicheng & Araral, Eduardo, 2021. "The mediated effects of urban proximity on collective action in the commons: Theory and evidence from China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    6. Sheng, Yu & Zhao, Yuhan & Zhang, Qian & Dong, Wanlu & Huang, Jikun, 2022. "Boosting rural labor off-farm employment through urban expansion in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    7. Regassa, Mekdim D. & Abate, Gashaw T. & Kubik, Zaneta, 2020. "Incentivizing and Retaining Public Workers in Remote Areas: A Discrete Choice Experiment with Agricultural Extension Agents in Ethiopia," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304498, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    JEL classification:

    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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