The impact of growth and distribution on poverty in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Changes in poverty in Papua New Guinea during the 1990s adjustment programme are analysed. Data from urban household surveys in 1986 and 1996 are used to calculate the change in the incidence, depth and severity of poverty. The change in poverty rates is decomposed into distribution and growth components, using a methodology proposed by Datt and Ravallion. There was a rise in both the depth and severity of poverty in the 1990s, with the major contributor being the growth in inequality.