EPAR RESEARCH BRIEF #316
Sun, 12/13/2015
AUTHORS: Pierre Biscaye; Brian Hutchinson; Melissa LaFayette; C. Leigh Anderson; Travis Reynolds
ABSTRACT:
The literature on poverty’s causes and cures in developing countries posits a variety of contributing factors. Most researchers acknowledge that a sustained exit from poverty is complex and no single causal pathway from poverty to non-poverty exists. In this review, we present a summary framework for categorizing the various theorized pathways out of poverty, and evaluate the empirical evidence for which interventions and resulting outcomes are most frequently and most strongly associated with poverty alleviation. We conducted a literature review on pathways out of poverty for low-income households in developing countries and identified and categorized general strategies and outcomes demonstrated to be empirically associated with poverty alleviation. We organized the general strategies into four asset groups that could be targeted to alleviate poverty: human, natural, built / financial, and social / political. Much of the literature presents positive results on poverty alleviation, but it is difficult to compare across studies because many of the studies were conducted in different countries and at different scales, and use a variety of outcome measures.
See also EPAR Technical Report #333: Financial Pathways out of Poverty: Evidence from Bangladesh and Tanzania
TYPE OF RESEARCH: Literature Review
RESEARCH TOPIC CATEGORY: Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods; Finance & Investment; Household Well-Being & Equity; Poverty; Development Finance & Policy
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: Global
Downloadable Documents
Research Brief
Results Coding Spreadsheet