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Revisiting cross-country poverty convergence in the developing world with a special focus on Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Ouyang, Yusi
  • Shimeles, Abebe
  • Thorbecke, Erik
Abstract
The literature on poverty convergence is sparse and much of the empirical evidence relies on Ravallion (2012) who found a lack of poverty convergence across some ninety Less Developed Countries (LDCs) during 1980–2007. This paper revisits cross-country poverty convergence using data from the same sources but an extended period of 1980–2014. We find that while poverty convergence remains absent across LDCs, it is present in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during the extended period. Initial poverty canceling the effectiveness of growth in reducing poverty explains the lack of poverty convergence across LDCs; while a strong growth effect dominating the adverse effect of initial poverty on growth effectiveness explains the strong poverty convergence found in SSA. A direct adverse link between initial poverty and subsequent growth – which Ravallion (2012) recognized as the main impediment to poverty convergence during 1980–2007 – is not found in this study.

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  • Ouyang, Yusi & Shimeles, Abebe & Thorbecke, Erik, 2019. "Revisiting cross-country poverty convergence in the developing world with a special focus on Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 13-28.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:117:y:2019:i:c:p:13-28
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.12.017
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    Cited by:

    1. Bao, Yanxi & Liao, Tingxuan, 2024. "Multidimensional poverty and growth: Evidence from India 1998–2021," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Thorbecke, Erik & Ouyang, Yusi, 2022. "Towards A Virtuous Spiral Between Poverty Reduction And Growth: Comparing Sub Saharan Africa With The Developing World," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    3. Chuan Lin & Haomiao Zhai & Yanqiu Zhao, 2022. "Industrial Poverty Alleviation, Digital Innovation and Regional Economically Sustainable Growth: Empirical Evidence Based on Local State-Owned Enterprises in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-22, November.
    4. Jesús Crespo Cuaresma & Stephan Klasen & Konstantin M. Wacker, 2022. "When Do We See Poverty Convergence?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 84(6), pages 1283-1301, December.
    5. Gustavo A. Marrero & Angel S. Marrero-Llinares & Luis Servén, 2022. "Poverty Convergence Clubs," Working Papers 619, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    6. Yaya, OlaOluwa S. & Furuoka, Fumitaka & Pui, Kiew Ling & Jacob, Ray Ikechukwu & Ezeoke, Chinyere M., 2020. "Investigating Asian regional income convergence using Fourier Unit Root test with Break," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 120-129.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cross-country poverty convergence; Growth; Poverty; Less Developed Countries (LDCs); Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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