 |
|
|
|
Who are the Poor?
Knowing and understanding the poor is as important as understanding poverty. Three quarters of the world’s poor people, amounting to 0.9 billion, live in rural areas. Who are they, and where do they live? How do they get and use income? What are the barriers to their progress, especially in terms of inadequate health, schooling, land and other assets? In each case we ask how these characteristics differ across regions, and whether they help us resolve an issue crucial for policy: are these characteristics causes or effects of poverty? IFAD’s categorization of the rural poor in its regions of operation provides an overview of the location and the types of poor people.
| Region |
Rainfed
Farmers |
Smallhoder
Farmers |
Pastoralists
|
Artisanal
Fishermen |
Wage
Labourers/ Landless |
Indigenous
People; Scheduled Castes/ Tribes |
Female-
headed
Households |
Displaced
People |
| WCA |  |
x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ESA | |
x
|
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
|
| AP | |
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
| LAC |
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
| NENA |
x
|
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
WCA : West and Central Africa; ES: East and Southern Africa; AP: Asia and the Pacific; LAC: Latin America and the Caribbean; NENA: Near East and North Africa
Source: IFAD - Rural Poverty Report 2001 - The Challenge of Ending Rural Poverty
