What to read to understand how countries escape the worst poverty
Five texts that help to explain when development works—and why it doesn’t
Three decades ago nearly 2bn people lived in absolute poverty (ie, virtual destitution). By 2018 that figure had fallen by more than half. There has perhaps been no greater human achievement. How did this happen? And why do hundreds of millions still live in poverty? Few questions are as important to humanity but few are so difficult to answer. A big part of the answer is found in China, where hundreds of millions have escaped the worst forms of deprivation in recent times. But there is no sure-fire, proven path to development. What worked for Singapore may not work for Somalia. Yet, as these four books and one paper suggest, some things matter more than others.
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