2005年-世界发展银行全球_El_Salvador___Poverty_Assessment_Strengthening_Social_Policy_134页_12mb

El Salvador Poverty Assessment: Strengthening Social Policy

Core Content

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of poverty and social indicators in El Salvador from 1991 to 2002, and outlines a strategy for developing a national social policy to further reduce poverty and improve social outcomes.

Main Points

I. Introduction

• El Salvador has experienced significant socio-economic progress over the past decade, marked by political stability, economic growth, and improvements in social indicators.
• The country transitioned from civil war to democracy in the 1990s, and has since participated in CAFTA and implemented structural economic reforms.
• Poverty reduction has been substantial, but recent progress has slowed due to external shocks such as the 2001 earthquakes, the coffee crisis, and global economic slowdowns.

II. Recent Achievements and Current Challenges

Poverty Reduction

• The poverty headcount fell by 27 percentage points from 64.4% in 1991 to 37.2% in 2002.
• Extreme poverty declined by 16 percentage points, from 31.2% to 15.4%.
• Poverty reduction was fastest in the first half of the 1990s, but slowed after 2000.

Rural vs. Urban Poverty

• Poverty is disproportionately rural, with about 50% of rural Salvadorans living in poverty, 25% in extreme poverty.
• Urban poverty is lower, with 28.5% of the urban population poor and only 9% in extreme poverty.
• Extreme poverty is more concentrated in rural areas.

Education

• Net enrollment rates increased across the population.
• The gap between poor and non-poor in education levels narrowed.
• Gender gaps in schooling were eliminated at primary and secondary levels.
• Secondary enrollment remains low, with only 20% among the poor compared to 36% among the non-poor.
• Completion rates are also lower for the poor.

Health

• Life expectancy, infant and child mortality, and child nutrition improved.
• The poor have less access to quality health and reproductive services.
• Only 40% of low-income mothers have institutional deliveries, compared to 80% of wealthy mothers.
• Earthquake damage to health facilities worsened access issues for the poor.

Basic Services and Markets

• Access to safe water, sanitation, and electricity improved.
• Rural households saw reduced distances and travel times to paved roads and markets.
• Still, about half of the poorest households lack access to safe water, and 20% lack adequate sanitation.
• 40% of the poorest households lack electricity.
• The poor still face higher distances and costs to access services and markets.

III. Explaining Recent Progress

Economic Growth

• Economic growth played a key role in poverty reduction.
• The elasticity of poverty reduction with respect to growth was -1.3 over 1991–2002.
• Average per capita income growth for the poor was 3.1% per year, slightly below the national average of 3.7%.
• The poorest 20% experienced slower growth, averaging 1.3% per year, contributing to increased income inequality.

Structural Changes

• There was a dramatic decline in the share of households relying on agriculture as their main income source, from 38.9% to 18.1%.
• This shift reduced the reliance on agricultural incomes, which had previously been a major source of poverty.

External Shocks

• The 2001 earthquakes and the coffee crisis negatively impacted poverty reduction efforts.
• These events, along with a global economic slowdown, slowed growth and increased poverty challenges.

Key Information

• Key Social Sectors: The report defines the social sectors to include rural water and roads, education, health, and social protection.
• Fiscal Challenges: Social sector spending remains low, limiting the scope for further poverty reduction.
• Future Strategy: A coherent national social policy is needed to:
  • Develop human capital for all Salvadorans.
  • Strengthen access to markets and basic services.
  • Provide support and protection to the poorest and most vulnerable families.
• Funding and Consensus: Developing a national consensus on financing poverty reduction and social progress is essential for the success of the social policy.
• Programs and Initiatives: The Government of El Salvador has launched Plan Oportunidades, a multi-faceted social strategy with five components:
  • Fosalud: Expanding basic medical services.
  • Programa JovenES: Youth development.
  • Red Solidaria: Improving access to education, health, and nutrition.
  • Conectate: Enhancing education quality through ICT.
  • Tu Crédito: Strengthening micro-credit for poverty reduction.

Conclusion

• The report emphasizes the need to strengthen social policies and increase investment in the social sectors to continue poverty reduction and improve socio-economic outcomes.
• A national social policy, grounded in broad consensus, is crucial for ensuring that the benefits of growth and development reach the poorest segments of the population.