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China's growth and poverty reduction - trends between 1990 and 1999

Author

Listed:
  • Shaohua Chen
  • Yan Wang
Abstract
The authors investigate recent rends in poverty, and inequality in China, decomposing data on poverty reduction to see who has benefited most from China's economic growth. They find that, by several measures, poverty declined significantly in the 1990s, across a wide range of poverty lines, except that a slight slowdown in China's export, and economic growth in 1997-99 might have hurt the poor. There was a slight increase in the poverty headcount between 1997 and 1999, using lower poverty lines, and a worsening of the poverty gap index. Average per capita consumption declined for farmers, especially those living in poor regions such as Gans, Heilongjiang, Sanxi, and Xinjiang. It is unclear whether this decline was attributable to Asia's economic crisis. Economic growth contributed significantly to poverty reduction, but rising inequality worsened both rural, and urban income distributions - except during the Asian crisis, when the distribution remained relatively stable. The poor benefited far less than the rich from economic growth. Income growth reached, or exceeded the average growth rate only for the richest twenty percent of the population. The authors then examine the relationship between human capital, growth, and poverty. They find that the accumulation of human capital had slowed, and that there is a huge regional disparity in human capital stock. And the distribution of education is becoming increasingly skewed. China must address this problem if it is to succeed in attacking poverty, and inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Shaohua Chen & Yan Wang, 2001. "China's growth and poverty reduction - trends between 1990 and 1999," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2651, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:2651
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Szirmai, Adam & Ren, Ruoen & Bai, Manyin, 2005. "Chinese Manufacturing Performance in Comparative Perspective, 1980-2002," Center Discussion Papers 28525, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    2. Zhang, Yin & Wan, Guanghua, 2006. "The impact of growth and inequality on rural poverty in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 694-712, December.
    3. Zhicheng Liang, 2007. "Trade Liberalization, Economic Restructuring and Urban Poverty: The Case of China," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 21(3), pages 239-259, September.
    4. Wu, Ximing & Perloff, Jeffrey M., 2004. "China's Income Distribution Over Time: Reasons for Rising Inequality," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt9jw2v939, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    5. Fei Yan, 2018. "Urban poverty, economic restructuring and poverty reduction policy in urban China: Evidence from Shanghai, 1978–2008," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(4), pages 465-481, July.
    6. Jayati Ghosh, 2010. "Poverty reduction in China and India: Policy implications of recent trends?," Working Papers 92, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    7. Wu, Ximing & Perloff, Jeffrey M., 2004. "China's Income Distribution Over Time: Reasons for Rising Inequality," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt9jw2v939, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
    8. Giovanni Bigazzi, 2007. "The Role Of Agriculture In The Development Of The People’S Republic Of China," Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica 36/2007, Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia.
    9. Fan, Shenggen & Chan-Kang, Connie, 2004. "Road development, economic growth, and poverty reduction in China," DSGD discussion papers 12, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Cao, Heping & Ligon, Ethan & Meng, Xiangyi, 2006. "Can Growth Compensate Inequality and Risk?---a welfare analysis for Chinese households," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21458, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    11. Luo, Xubei & Zhu, Nong, 2008. "Rising income inequality in China : a race to the top," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4700, The World Bank.
    12. GOH, Chor-ching & LUO, Xubei & ZHU, Nong, 2009. "Income growth, inequality and poverty reduction: A case study of eight provinces in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 485-496, September.
    13. WANG, Zuxiang & SMYTH, Russell & NG, Yew-Kwang, 2009. "A new ordered family of Lorenz curves with an application to measuring income inequality and poverty in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 218-235, June.
    14. Zhu, Nong & Luo, Xubei, 2008. "The impact of remittances on rural poverty and inequality in China," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4637, The World Bank.

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