Halving poverty in HIPC countries by 2015: How costly if achievable?

Abstract

This article assesses the likelihood and costs of halving the poverty headcount ratio by 2015 from its 1990 levels in sixteen post-HIPC–MDRI countries. An optimistic pro-poor growth scenario indicates that, on average, they will attain this goal 2 years before the end date. An estimated annual cost of 16 percent of the recipients’ GDPs suggests that currently available funds will be sufficient to finance the MDG poverty target, provided that they achieve a 6 percent annual economic growth, improve their equality of incomes and implement policies to raise absorptive capacity to levels obtained by East Asian countries in the mid-1990s.