Economic Growth and Poverty: Pro-Poor Growth? In the Republic of Congo

Ngakoli Esther Victorie

School of Statistics and Mathematics, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China.

DOI: 10.4236/tel.[phone]                

Abstract

Using a posterior approach from 2005 to 2011, this article seeks to answer the question: does economic growth benefit the poor or not in the Republic of Congo? The study found that across the country, the index of pro-poor growth has been positive and superior to one, which is indicative of pro-poor growth, but it is pro-rich in urban areas. However, the study conceals disparities in the regions due to the constraints of informational orders. The study recommends specific policy measures to increase, specifically household surveys in twelve regions in the Republic of Congo to better understand the extent of poverty.

Keywords

Economic Growth, Pro-Poor, Inequality, Poverty

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Duclos, J.-Y. and Wodon, Q. (2004) What Is “Pro-Poor?” CIRPEE Working Paper #0425.
[2]	Duclos, J.-Y. (2009) What Is “Pro-Poor”? Social Choice and Welfare, 32, 37-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00355-008-0308-x
[3]	Essama-Nssah, B. (2004) A Unified Framework for Pro-Poor Growth Analysis. World Bank, Policy Research Working Paper #3397.
[4]	Bourguignon, F. (2003) The Growth Elasticity of Poverty Reduction Explaining Heterogeneity. Across Countries and Time Periods. In: Eicher, T. and Turnovsky, S., Eds., Inequality and Growth, Theory and Policy Implications, The MIT Press, Cambridge.
[5]	Kakwani, N. (1993) Poverty and Economic Growth with Application to Cote d’Ivoire. Review of Income and Wealth, 39, 121-139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.1993.tb00443.x
[6]	Duclos, J.-Y. and Araar, A. (2007) Poverty and Equity: Measurement, Policy and Estimation with DAD. Universite Laval, Quebec.
[7]	Foster, J.E., Greer, J. and Thorbecke, E. (1984) A Class of Decomposable Poverty Measures. Econometrica, 52, 761-766. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1913475
[8]	Gunther, I., Marouani, M.A. and Raffinot, M. (2006) La croissance pro-pauvre au Mali. Agence Francaise de Developpement, Paris, 144.
[9]	Kakwani, N. and Pernia, E. (2001) What Is Pro-Poor Growth? Asian Development Review, 18, 1-16.