Argentina

Résumé du livre

East Asian countries have done much to reduce poverty and improve living standards. This paper tracks the progress made in the region since 1970. To permit cross-country comparisons, analysts devised a measure of absolute poverty based on daily caloric intake and non-food necessities. With this standard and other data, they have estimated the number of poor that remain in the 1990s. These estimates can help the World Bank and other intergovernmental and private agencies target international aid more effectively. Key social indicators provide a broader view of progress in East Asia. Highlighted are per capita food intakes, life expectancy, infant mortality, and illiteracy rates. Advances in family planning, health, and potable water supply, and sanitation are also examined. Government policies that have affected poverty are also reviewed. The author explains why official indicators of poverty vary between countries. Such differences can affect poverty counts dramatically by shifting many people above or below official poverty levels. The study notes that economic growth and social programs have not reached some rural areas. It explains why East Asia will probably continue to reduce poverty during the 1990s.