Africa makes gains on health, education, but number of poor grows

Africa’s strong economic growth has contributed to improving people’s health and education in the past 20 years, as well as major reductions in poverty in several countries, but a rapid rise in population has led to increases in the overall number of extreme poor, the World Bank has said in a report on poverty in the region.

The report estimates that 388 million people — or 43 per cent of all people living in sub-Saharan Africa — lived in extreme poverty in 2012, the last year figures were available, a decrease of five million people from 2011. In a separate report released earlier this month, the World Bank projected that 347 million people are living in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa this year.

While the percentage of Africans living in poverty has decreased over time, the numbers have grown. An estimated 284 million Africans lived in poverty in 1990.

The report, Poverty in a Rising Africa, called for a much better measurement of poverty, saying data gaps make it extremely difficult for policymakers to target programmes for the poor.

Earlier this month, the World Bank pledged to work with developing countries and international partners to conduct household surveys once every three years in each of the 78 poorest countries. The initiative, which will be fully launched by 2020, is estimated to cost $300 million (Sh30.6 billion) every three years. It is expected to deliver better data that will show if the programmes delivered will help end extreme poverty by 2030, and boost shared prosperity.