The dynamics of poverty in rural Bangladesh. CPRC Research Summary No. 3

Abstract

The CPRC's Poverty Dynamics and Economic Mobility Theme principal goal is to improve our understanding of the economic and social processes that shape poverty dynamics (in both monetary and non-monetary terms) and their implications for anti-poverty policy. To further this, the two main objectives of the theme are to develop an integrated and sequenced approach to the study of poverty dynamics which merges large N quantitative resurveys with medium N qualitative methods, and field test this in one African and one Asian country. This research summary reports on a major mixed methods study of poverty dynamics and economic mobility conducted by CPRC, DATA and IFPRI in rural Bangladesh between 2006 and 2008. This is the first of two major qualitative and quantitative studies that are planned during CPRC Phase III. After describing the background and implementation of the study, the study's key findings regarding the extent of poverty dynamics and the factors that enable individuals and households to escape from chronic poverty or trap them in it are reviewed. The emerging policy implications of the study are then discussed. This research summary was presented at the Social Protection for the Poorest in Africa - Learning from Experience, Entebbe, Uganda, 8-10 September 2008