The generally accepted international poverty line is $1 a day. But being poor means much more than being poor in income. It means being poor in health, education, and access to goods and services. It can lead to crime and violence, political instability, and an overall poor quality of life. The World Bank's goal is to achieve a world free of poverty. This means paying attention to and improving access to the many things that enhance the quality of life, including-but not limited to-income.
PovertyNet
Poverty is not just about money; it's about people. This site offers both information and experiences to help users-ranging from students to senior economists-understand what it means to live on $1 or less per day. It also presents some of the latest thinking on how to combat poverty. You might want to start with the site "tour". Or check out the highlights below:
Investing in People: The World Bank in Action
For a country to win the battle against poverty and sustain its development, it must be willing to spend money on the health, nutrition, and education of its people. Visit this web site to find out how investments in people pay off. To learn more about how health, nutrition, population, and other aspects of human development affect economic growth and poverty reduction, visit the Health, Nutrition, and Population site.
The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative: Sustainable Debt For Sustainable Development
How can poor countries with large amounts of debt pay what they owe and still be able to invest in the future of their countries? Visit this site to find out how the Bank is working with heavily indebted poor countries so that their debt burden can be brought to sustainable levels and they can move on.
Hunger. It's not What You Think
People born in 1900 were born into a world with fewer than 2 billion people. Now, less than a century later, close to 6 billion people live on earth. Read this article to learn more about the challenges of providing all the people with food.
Social Protection. Questions and Answers about the World Bank, Fall 1998
Find out what the Bank is doing for the poor and what the Bank's overall poverty reduction strategy is by visiting this question & answer page.
Explore theses pages from World Development Indicators, 1999 and World Development Report, 1999/2000
to find poverty information and data on over 140 countries around the world. To view these pages you will
need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it, you may download
it here for free.
Map: GNP Per Capita
Explore this map to see 1997 GNP per capita around the world. To view maps of GNP per capita growth rate and population growth rate make your selection from the list at the left of the screen, and then click on "Refresh Map".
PovertyNet Data
This page provides information and data on poverty monitoring.
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Tackling the Issues
Poverty is associated with other issues that in their turn either reduce or increase poverty. Explore issues
like
Population,
Water and Sanitation,
Health,
and others to see the interrelations among them.
Hunger in a World of Plenty
Find out how food and poverty issues are interrelated.
Partnerships for Poverty Reduction
When private, public, and non-profit organizations work together against poverty, sustainable progress can be made. Visit this site to see how these partnerships work.
