Where Does Rural Poverty Occur?
• Latin America: In spite of some reduction in the incidence of rural and urban poverty, poverty levels remain high. Serious inequality in the region means that poverty is substantially above official predictions. • Asia: Most of the world s poor live in Asia, where rural and urban poverty have decreased. Regionwide ratios of rural-to-urban poverty have risen since 1985. • Africa: There has been little reduction in poverty in most of the region since the late 1970s, but the previous exceptionally high ratios of rural-to-urban poverty have fallen. The proportion of poor people is highest in sub-Saharan Africa. • Middle East and North Africa: Prosperity is increasingly threatened by growing income inequality and potential civil strife. • Europe and Central Asia: Poverty is increasing rapidly. In countries of the former Soviet Union, the number of poor has more than tripled. The Shifting Nature of Poverty • Poverty is not static: its numerical and geographical concentrations shift constan
