Ghana has been one of the most rapidly growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa. This growth has been aided by Ghana's improving policy environment. In light of this, the paper addresses the question of why, given its higher level of per capita income and relatively strong growth, the housing conditions of the poor in Accra are considerably worse than those in a number of other African cities with lower incomes. There are not many data available to answer this question, so the method is indirect and takes two approaches.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the cross-country variation in the growth elasticity of poverty across a sample of developing countries during the period from 1990 to 2000. In order to identify variables that may explain the cross-country variation in the growth elasticity of poverty, the paper sets up a theoretical framework. Subsequently, the explanatory power of these variables is tested empirically by panel data econometric analysis.

From what was historically known as
'Arabia Felix', a land of prosperity and
happiness, Yemen has become the most impoverished among the
Arab countries. The government of the united Yemen, formed
in 1990, has launched so far three five-year economic reform
plans with the goal of restoring Yemen's prosperity.
Have these efforts succeeded? What policies are needed to
further reduce poverty? The poverty assessment report aims

Inequality, exclusion and lack of mobility are unfortunate characteristics of life for Brazil's poorest and minority citizens. It is a pervasive and debilitating problem that is perceived to be the result of fair rules but poor administration. Policy changes are needed to ensure fair opportunities for everyone. These include ensuring fair access to labor markets, facilitating access to assets such as land, expanding and improving social security, building human capital, focusing on youth, decreasing race inequality and discrimination, and strengthening participation and citizenship.

Finnish economic history during the "long" 20th century, with a special emphasis on policies for equity and growth, is reviewed. IT is argued that Finland developed from a poor, vulnerable and conflict-prone country to a modern economy in part through policies geared at both growth and equity, such as land reform and compulsory schooling. The state participated in economic activity both indirectly and directly in the post-war period, implementing many social policy reforms that facilitated the functioning of the labor market and led to greater equity.

Two general characteristics of rural populations are studied: farming operations at the global level and global rural demographic trends. Analysis of farming at the global level shows that agricultural land is expanding in Latin America and Africa, while expansion limits have been reached in South Asia. Roughly 90% of the world�s farms are small, defined as smaller than 2 hectares, especially in high density areas.

This report analyzes the experience of
Ethiopia with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)
process. The focus of the report is on evaluating the
performance of the World Bank in supporting the PRSP
initiative, not on appraising the authorities’ policies. The
emphasis of the report is on the formulation and
implementation of the PRSP until the time of the evaluation
team’s mission to Ethiopia in mid-2003. The report is

It has been widely argued that, with the
decline in trade costs (for example, transport and
communication costs), the importance of distance has
declined over time. If so, this would be a boon for
countries located far from the main centers of economic
activity. The authors examine the evolution of
countries' distance of trade (DOT) from 1962-2000. They
find that the DOT falls over time for the average country in

Health care costs are escalating rapidly
in many countries. While many factors contribute to rising
costs, health insurance plays a part by shielding patients
and physicians from the real cost. In an effort to contain
costs, governments, employers, and insurers have modified
payment schemes and coverage, often leading to rationing and
restricted consumer choice and in some cases to denial of
care. Singapore is unique among developed countries in

The provention consortium was created in
February 2000 as a formal partnership between the World
Bank, other International Financial Institutions (IFIs),
bilateral donor organizations, the insurance sector, the
academic community, and civil society. Designed as a
think-tank to commission research and to disseminate risk
reduction tools, the provention secretariat was to rotate
from one partner organization to another. Thus, after three

This study argues that the 15 European
Union (EU) countries and their 12 Mediterranean Partners
should complement their Euro-Mediterranean free-trade area
for industrial goods with a common transport space. This
would require the removal of policy-induced frictions in the
region's multi-modal transport system in order to
facilitate the flow of foods, people, and investments within
this emerging trade block. The purpose of this report is to

The Operations Evaluation Department
(OED) is an independent unit within the World Bank. The
goals of evaluation are to learn from experience, to provide
an objective basis for assessing the results of the Bank’s
work, and to provide accountability in the achievement of
its objectives. This report on the Post-Conflict Fund (PCF)
is one of twenty six case studies that have been prepared as
source material for the second phase of OED’s independent