Is it possible to end poverty in the next 30 years

Broadly, poverty affects most of the people in the world. To eradicate poverty is possible, but at what cost? Investment in local farms to boost capital and productivity, education for both children and adults, enhancing access to health services and leveraging renewable energy resources are the best ways to end poverty. Ending poverty is possible and at a low cost. Source: World Data Lab projections. Note: Venezuela classified as fragile state is likely to also be among the countries with one of the highest absolute numbers of extreme poor in However, due to inconsistencies with demographic and economic projections, it has been left out in this analysis.

They will make up one-third of total extreme poverty in as the number of the extreme poor in both countries is projected to grow from million to million. This is more than the total increase among all other fragile states combined. Nigeria is moreover part of a broader region that is experiencing important levels of conflict, fragility, and poverty.

Seven out of 10 Sahel countries are currently classified as fragile Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea , and these seven countries alone are expected to account for 26 percent million of the total extreme poor in , whereas the non-fragile Sahel countries add only a negligible 2. Following Nigeria, the Sahel countries with highest extreme poverty in will be Sudan 8 million , Chad 7.

By , non-fragile states will inch closer to a reality where extreme poverty is history, yet fragile states will have more people in extreme poverty than ever before. This vulnerability in fragile states has long-term consequences. Fragile states, therefore, need to be a priority not just in the humanitarian context, but also for longer-term development. She also emphasized the importance of agricultural development in reducing poverty, as well as equitable access to basic health and education to expand opportunity.

These fundamentals cannot be replaced just by building safety nets. As an example of how goal setting changes behavior in an institution, she said team leaders of transport or energy projects are now consulting Bank poverty experts to see how their projects can be made more inclusive.

Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Raj Desai brought up the trade-offs between getting more poverty alleviation out of social programs through better targeting and getting more broad-based societal support for these programs by making them more inclusive. Brookings Fellow Laurence Chandy underlined the problem of ending violence in modern conflicts where non-state actors have incentives to continue to foster instability.

He also worried about a return to far slower global growth, something that could offset all the gains that might arise from more effective anti-poverty programs. Finally, in a world where enlightened leadership is hard to come by, it will be difficult to complete the last mile.

Can the world end extreme poverty by ? Future Development. The Future Development blog informs and stimulates debate on key development issues. This blog was first launched in September by the World Bank and the Brookings Institution in an effort to hold governments more accountable to poor people and offer solutions to the most prominent development challenges.

CEO of Concern Worldwide. But do we have the political will and the courage to make the tough decisions? That means the stateless, the disposed, the marginalized, and the million people who are now in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Rock Star and activist. He is a co-founder of ONE, a global campaign and advocacy organization with more than 9 million members.

Commerce is the greatest player in taking people out of extreme poverty. Just look at India, just look at China. Aid, development assistance is the bridge from here to there. We had a very snobby attitude about business and big business — we sort of demonized it. Actually you go to the developing world and jobs are the most dignified thing you could offer someone. When people have work, they can sort out their own problems.

Capitalism can be a monster… if we let it be, but capitalism must and will take our instruction. And when it does, it can be quite an engine and a force for good. A cash-for-work road-building project in Central African Republic. How we go about doing this is another discussion.