Reducing poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Poverty still is one of the central problems in Latin America and the Caribbean. As measured by international poverty lines, approximately one out of every five people in the region is poor. Consequently, the elimination of poverty continues to be one of the main challenges facing the region and remains at the top of its policy agenda. Clearly, one way to reduce absolute poverty is by stimulating economic growth. In reality, it is unlikely that poverty can be reduced by any significant degree without persistent economic growth. Ultimately, an economy that grows on a sustained basis is an economy in which wages will be rising, thereby lifting households out of poverty. In Latin America, Chile is an impressive success story in terms of poverty reduction. Between 1987 and 1998, real per capita income increased at an annual rate of 5.7% while the poverty rate dropped by 60%. Even though growth is fundamental in the battle against poverty, it is unlikely to be enough, even when growth is very rapid. This is especially true in the presence of high levels of inequality such as those existing in Latin America (Besley and Burgess, 2003). Cost-effective redistribution is also needed to succeed in eliminating poverty.