Thursday, January 31, 2013

Understanding inclusive growth: Access to economic and development opportunities

Inclusive growth is one of the most talked about issues in developing countries, especially those in transition, these days. It has been pretty much widely accepted that growth alone is not sufficient; it has to be followed by wider access to economic opportunities and provision of social protection for those left out of the growth process.

ADB has come up with a framework for inclusive growth, which has three main components:  (i) High and sustainable growth; (ii) Access to economic and social development opportunities; and (iii) Stronger social protection. 

It also has a list of 35 indicators to quantify (either directly or via proxies) inclusive growth. This follow up to an earlier blog post sheds some light on the second pillar of inclusive growth, i.e. access to economic and social development opportunities.

The second pillar emphasizes broader access to economic and social development opportunities, especially for the poor and disadvantaged. Its components include improvements in:

    • Basic services including health, education, water and sanitation, and electricity
    • Urban development for the poor
    • Rural development
    • Inclusionary reforms
    • Public sector management

The table below shows the quantifiable indicators for the second pillar of inclusive growth. The information and data in this blog come from ADB’s FIGI 2012 and the related dataset (Nepal only; for other countries, see this one).

Social Inclusion to Ensure Equal Access to Economic Opportunity 1990 or Nearest Year 2010 or Latest Year
Access and Inputs to Education and Health
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary) years 8.8 (2000) 8.9 (2002)
by Sex        
Male 10.0 (2000) 9.9 (2002)
Female 7.5 (2000) 7.9 (2002)
Pupil-teacher ratio (primary) 39   30 (2011)
Diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and pertussis (DTP3) immunization coverage among 1-year-olds  percent 43   82  
by Residence        
Urban ...   93 (2006)
Rural ...   88 (2006)
Urban-to-rural ratio ...   1.1 (2006)
by Wealth Quintile        
Lowest ...   75 (2006)
Highest ...   96 (2006)
Highest-to-lowest ratio ...   1.3 (2006)
Physicians, nurses, and midwives per 10,000 population ...   6.7 (2004)
Physicians ...   2.1 (2004)
Nurses and Midwives ...   4.6 (2004)
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure 14.0 (1995) 17.9 (2011)
Government expenditure on health as a percentage of total government expenditure 4.1 (1995) 7.2 (2011)
Access to Basic Infrastructure Utilities and Services
Population with access to electricity percent 15.4 (2000) 43.6 (2009)
by Residence        
Urban ...   89.7 (2008)
Rural ...   34.0 (2008)
Urban-to-rural ratio ...   2.6 (2008)
Share of population using solid fuels for cooking  percent 88.3 (2001) 83.3 (2006)
by Residence        
Urban 39.1 (2001) 39.1 (2006)
Rural 94.1 (2001) 92.3 (2006)
by Wealth Quintile        
Lowest ...   100.0 (2006)
Highest ...   31.3 (2006)
Population using improved drinking water sources  percent 76   89  
by Residence        
Urban 96   93  
Rural 74   88  
Population using improved sanitation facilities  percent 10   31  
by Residence        
Urban 37   48  
Rural 7   27  
Gender Equality and Opportunity
Gender parity in education         
Primary 0.63 (1991) 0.86 (2002)
Secondary 0.46 (1991) 0.89 (2006)
Tertiary 0.33 (1991) 0.40 (2004)
Antenatal care coverage of at least one visit  percent of live births 15.4 (1991) 58.3 (2011)
by Residence        
Urban ...   84.6 (2006)
Rural ...   37.5 (2006)
Urban-to-rural ratio ...   2.3 (2006)
by Wealth Quintile        
Lowest ...   17.7 (2006)
Highest ...   84.1 (2006)
Highest-to-lowest ratio ...   4.8 (2006)
Antenatal care coverage of at least four visits  percent of live births 8.8 (1996) 29.4 (2006)
by Residence        
Urban ...   51.9 (2006)
Rural ...   26.0 (2006)
Urban-to-rural ratio ...   2.0 (2006)
by Wealth Quintile        
Lowest ...   11.0 (2006)
Highest ...   60.0 (2006)
Highest-to-lowest ratio ...   5.5 (2006)
Gender parity in labor force participation (Aged 15 and over) 0.88   0.92 (2011)
Percentage of seats held by women in national parliament  6.1   33.2 (2012)

In the next blog post, I will share information about the third pillar of inclusive growth (stronger social protection).