Poverty Facts

Global Issue: PovertyWhat is poverty?

World bank defines the extremely poor as those without enough income to meet basic needs

Terms used to describe and measure poverty Income or consumption Human (under)development Social exclusion Ill-being (Lack of) capability and functioning Vulnerability Livelihood unsustainability Lack of basic needs Relative deprivation

Poverty Levels

1.4 billion people live at poverty line or below of $1.25 a day.

Almost half the worldover three billion peoplelive on less than $2.50 a day

At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

The poorest 40 percent of the worlds population accounts for 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income.

According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.

Poverty LevelsChinas poverty rate fell from 85% to 15.9%, or by over 600 million people.

Excluding China, poverty fell only by around 10%UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerGoal 2: Achieve universal primary educationGoal 3: Promote gender equality and empower womenGoal 4: Reduce child mortalityGoal 5: Improve maternal healthGoal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesGoal 7: Ensure environmental sustainabilityGoal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Task Force on Hunger Halving hunger can be done, 7 recommendations

1. Move from political commitment to action2. Reform policies and create an enabling environment3. Increase the agricultural productivity of food-insecure farmers4. Improve nutrition for the chronically hungry and vulnerable5. Reduce vulnerability of the acutely hungry through productive safety nets6. Increase incomes and make markets work for the poor7. Restore and conserve the natural resources essential for food security

12 myths of poverty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A8Bb_fX8RY&feature=related

InequalityKey factors to reducing poverty will be:The reduction in inequalityThe reduction in income differences

About 0.13% of the worlds population controlled 25% of the worlds assets in 2004

Developed vs. Developing countriesImprovement in living standards

A stable political, social and economic environment

The ability to make free choices

Be able to participate in a democratic environment United Nations calls Human Development: Human development is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the choices people have to lead lives that they value. And it is thus about much more than economic growth, which is only a meansif a very important oneof enlarging peoples choices.

ElectricityRegionMillions without electricitySouth Asia706Sub-Saharan Africa547East Asia224Other101Global Priorityin spending in 1998$U.S. BillionsCosmetics in the United States8Ice cream in Europe11Perfumes in Europe and the United States12Pet foods in Europe and the United States17Business entertainment in Japan35Cigarettes in Europe50Alcoholic drinks in Europe105Narcotics drugs in the world400Military spending in the world780InequalityGlobal Priority$U.S. BillionsBasic education for all6Water and sanitation for all9Reproductive health for all women12Basic health and nutrition139Inequality in urban settingsApproximately 1 billion people live in slums (1 in every 6)Some settlements dont have official recognitionFew or no services (water, sanitation, electricity, garbage collection, health, education, access roads and transport)In some developing countries, 1 in 3 people living in cities are living in slum areas

Kenyas Kibera slum, Sub-Sharan African largest informal settlement

Nairobis two million slum-dwellers

Inequality in urban settings2008/2009 UN Habitat report:

Some 3 million people per week were added to cities of developing world.Some American cities are as unequal as African and Latin American cities.Race is one of the most important factors determining levels of inequality in the US and Canada. The most unequal cities were in South Africa and Namibia and Latin America.Beijing was now the most egalitarian city in the world, just ahead of cities such as Jakarta in Indonesia and Dire Dawa in Ethiopia.Europe was found to be generally more egalitarian than other continents. Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Slovenia were classed as the most equal countries while Greece, the UK and Spain were among the most unequal.

Inequality in rural areas

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) report Dec. 2010

The gapThe worlds 10 wealthiest nations are now more than 75 times richer than the 10 poorest.

The gapLatin America has the highest disparity rateIncome inequality with the richest one tenth of the population earning 48% of its total income, while the poorest tenth earns only 1.6%10 of the 15 most unequal countries in the world are in Latin America: Bolivia, followed by Haiti, Brazil, Ecuador, and Chile, which is tied in fifth place with Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Paraguay.In the US the top 1% receives more money than the bottom 40%. 1 in 7 people in the US are in poverty.The income of the richest 10% of people is, on average across OECD countries, nearly nine times that of the poorest 10%.Mexico, where the richest income is more than 25 times those of the poorestTurkey, where the ratio is 17 to 1USA, where the ratio is 16 to 1.In Nordic countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Finland, the gap is much smaller where the ratio is around 5 to 1.

2010 Inter Press Service (IPS) reportCollateral EffectsEducation:Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names

Less 1% of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didnt happen.

Health: Infectious diseases:An estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004.

Every year there are 350500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities Shelter:Approximately half the worlds population now live in cities and towns

In developing countries some 2.5 billion people are forced to rely on biomassfuelwood, charcoal and animal dungto meet their energy needs for cooking

Water:Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.

More than 660 million people without sanitation live on less than $2 a day, and more than 385 million on less than $1 a day.

1.8 billion people who have access to a water source within 1 kilometer, but not in their house or yard, consume around 20 liters per day. UK- 50 and US - 600http://www.gapminder.org/world/