Monday, February 19, 2007
Study finds one third of Iraq's population now lives in poverty
Economics
(Voices of Iraq) From a thriving middle income economy in the 70's and 80's, one-third of today's Iraqi population lives in poverty with more than five percent living in extreme poverty. These are some of the startling findings from the latest study prepared by the Iraqi Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT) with the support of UNDP.
Launched jointly by the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation and UNDP, the Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) study shows that a high percentage of people in Iraq live under various levels of poverty and human deprivation despite the huge economic and natural resources of the country.
The policies applied to transform the Iraqi economy to a free market such as the lifting of subsidies and the dismantling of state instruments, are exacerbating deprivation levels. The situation in the country shows a deeply complex political and security crisis with no quick apparent solution, according to UNDP in the Jordanian capital Amman on Sunday.
The study also highlights significant variations in living standards across the country, with the southern region in Iraq showing the highest level of deprivation, followed by the centre and then the north. Rural areas show three times higher levels of deprivation than urban areas, with the Baghdad area being the best in the country. The highest deprivation levels are in access to basic services such as electricity and water, followed by economic status of households, then the housing environment.
Launched jointly by the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation and UNDP, the Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) study shows that a high percentage of people in Iraq live under various levels of poverty and human deprivation despite the huge economic and natural resources of the country.
The policies applied to transform the Iraqi economy to a free market such as the lifting of subsidies and the dismantling of state instruments, are exacerbating deprivation levels. The situation in the country shows a deeply complex political and security crisis with no quick apparent solution, according to UNDP in the Jordanian capital Amman on Sunday.
The study also highlights significant variations in living standards across the country, with the southern region in Iraq showing the highest level of deprivation, followed by the centre and then the north. Rural areas show three times higher levels of deprivation than urban areas, with the Baghdad area being the best in the country. The highest deprivation levels are in access to basic services such as electricity and water, followed by economic status of households, then the housing environment.
Labels: COSIT, economy, living standards, poverty, UBN study, UNDP
