This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
Published in 2015, a World Bank report paints a dire picture of poverty in Africa, with over 416 million people living on less than $1.90 a day.
Since 1990, the number of poor in Africa has increased by more than 33 percentage points, from 278 million to 416 million, as of 2015.
According to the report, more than 82 percent of these individuals live in rural areas, where smallholder farming is their primary occupation.
“Accelerating poverty reduction in Africa requires a series of actions which pursue four principles of engagement,” the report stated. “First, implement a policy agenda that creates economic opportunities for the poor in the sectors and places where they live and work, or helps them connect with income-earning opportunities elsewhere and at the same time reduces their exposure to the many risks they face.”
The report also emphasized the importance of leveraging digital technologies to benefit the poor, addressing gender gaps in education, health, empowerment, and income-generating activities, and designing integrated policy interventions that tackle multiple constraints simultaneously.
Unless governments take swift action, the World Bank warned that Africa's share of the world's poor will increase dramatically from 55 percent in 2015 to 90 percent in 2030.
Empowering women is key to driving change, as they make up 40 percent of large-scale agriculture laborers in Africa, but face significant productivity and earnings gaps.
Recommendations to close this gap include building skills for women, securing their land rights, and addressing social norms that constrain their economic opportunities.
