IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/lje/journl/v13y2008ispp163-188.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Geography of Poverty: Evidence from the Punjab

Author

Listed:
  • Ali Cheema

    (University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan.)

  • Lyyla Khalid

    (University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan.)

  • Manasa Patnam

    (University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan.)

Abstract

The article is the first comprehensive attempt at estimating the variation in the incidence, intensity and severity of poverty in the Punjab at the level of sub-provincial regions and districts. This estimation has been made possible because of the availability of the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (2003-04), which has a sample that is representative at the district-level. Estimates suggest the existence of a high poverty enclave in the south and the west regions of the Punjab. The incidence and severity of poverty in a majority of districts in thisenclave, with a few exceptions, is extremely high with one out of every two households being poor on average. The high levels of poverty in this enclave contrast with the relatively low poverty in the more urbanized north,where households are well integrated into the national and international labor market. The paper also argues that there is tremendous variation in the poverty experience of the districts in the centre. Poverty incidence in the more urbanized and industrialized northern districts of the centre contrasts sharply with the experience of Kasur, Okara and Pakpattan, where the incidence and severity of poverty is extremely high. Finally, we find thatin nine districts rural households do much worse in terms of poverty incidence than their urban counterparts. The gap between urban and rural poverty incidence and severity is highest within the district of Lahore suggesting that urbanization co-exists with a large poor population that inhabits the peri-urban areas of the district. An important aim of development policy and poverty targeting is to bridge these multi-faceted divides in the geography of poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Ali Cheema & Lyyla Khalid & Manasa Patnam, 2008. "The Geography of Poverty: Evidence from the Punjab," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 13(Special E), pages 163-188, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:lje:journl:v:13:y:2008:i:sp:p:163-188
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://121.52.153.179/JOURNAL/Special%20Edition%202008/10%20Ali%20Cheema.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Deaton, A. & Zaidi, S., 1999. "Guidelines for Constructing Consumption Aggregates for Welfare Analysis," Papers 192, Princeton, Woodrow Wilson School - Development Studies.
    2. Angus Deaton & Salman Zaidi, 2002. "Guidelines for Constructing Consumption Aggregates for Welfare Analysis," World Bank Publications, The World Bank, number 14101, April.
    3. World Bank, 2002. "Poverty Assessment : Poverty in Pakistan - Vulnerabilities, Social Caps, and Rural Dynamics," World Bank Publications - Reports 15335, The World Bank Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Masood Azeem & Amin W. Mugera & Steven Schilizzi & Kadambot H. M. Siddique, 2017. "An Assessment of Vulnerability to Poverty in Punjab, Pakistan: Subjective Choices of Poverty Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 117-152, October.
    2. Ahmed Gulzar & Novaira Junaid & Adnan Haider, 2010. "What is Hidden in the Hidden Economy of Pakistan? Size, Causes, Issues, and Implications," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 665-704.
    3. Rashida Haq & Uzma Zia, 2013. "Multidimensional Wellbeing: An Index of Quality of Life in a Developing Economy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 997-1012, December.
    4. Rashida Haq & Azkar Ahmed & Siama Shafique, 2010. "Variation in the Quality of Life within Punjab: Evidence from MICS, 2007-08," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 863-879.
    5. Kifayat Ullah & Muhammad Zubair Chishti, 2023. "Spatial distribution of poverty in Pakistan: an asset-based approach," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Wajiha Haq & Mir Azam & Zaki Babar & Saad Amir & Fareyha Said, 2024. "Investigation of multidimensional poverty in Pakistan at the national, regional, and provincial level," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Azeem, Muhammad Masood & Mugera, Amin W. & Schilizzi, Steven, 2016. "Poverty and vulnerability in the Punjab, Pakistan: A multilevel analysis," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 57-72.
    8. Annus Azhar & Shahid Adil, 2019. "The Effects of Agglomeration on Socio-economic Outcomes: A District Level Panel Study of Punjab," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 58(2), pages 159-176.
    9. Uzma Afzal, 2012. "Human Capital Convergence: Evidence from the Punjab," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 17(1), pages 45-61, Jan-June.
    10. Hamna Ahmed & Sahar Amjad & Masooma Habib & Syed Ahsan Shah, 2013. "Determinants of School Choice:Evidence from Rural Punjab, Pakistan," CREB Working papers 1-2013, Centre for Research in Economics and Business, The Lahore School of Economics, revised 2013.
    11. Muhammad Usman Sikander & Syed Ahsan Ahmad Shah, 2010. "Inter-District Inequalities in Social Service Delivery: A Rationalised Approach towards Funds Disbursement," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 881-899.
    12. Rashida Haq & Azhar Ali, 2014. "Development Disparities and Peculiarities: An Empirical Investigation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 715-729, January.
    13. Danish Wadud Alam & Amjad Amin, 2018. "Quality of Life and Well-Being Ranking of Selected Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 137(2), pages 527-537, June.
    14. Hamna Ahmed & Sahar Amjad Sheikh, 2014. "Determinants of School Choice: Evidence from Rural Punjab, Pakistan," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 19(1), pages 1-30, Jan-June.
    15. Farooq Ahmed & Muhammad Shahid & Yang Cao & Madeeha Gohar Qureshi & Sidra Zia & Saireen Fatima & Jing Guo, 2021. "A Qualitative Exploration in Causes of Water Insecurity Experiences, and Gender and Nutritional Consequences in South-Punjab, Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, November.
    16. Uzma Afzal, 2010. "The Unchanging Profile of Development: A Historical Study of the Punjab 1961–2008," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 841-862.
    17. Kifayat Ullah & Abdul Qayyum Mohsin & Abdul Saboor & Saranjam Baig, 2020. "Financial Inclusion, Socioeconomic Disaster Risks and Sustainable Mountain Development: Empirical Evidence from the Karakoram Valleys of Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-26, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. John A. Maluccio, 2009. "Household targeting in practice: The Nicaraguan Red de Protección Social," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(1), pages 1-23.
    2. Çakır, Mustafa Yavuz & Kabundi, Alain, 2013. "Trade shocks from BRIC to South Africa: A global VAR analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 190-202.
    3. Akanksha Srivastava & Sanjay Mohanty, 2012. "Poverty Among Elderly in India," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 493-514, December.
    4. Hidrobo, Melissa & Hoddinott, John & Peterman, Amber & Margolies, Amy & Moreira, Vanessa, 2014. "Cash, food, or vouchers? Evidence from a randomized experiment in northern Ecuador," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 144-156.
    5. Nguyen, Minh Cong & Winters, Paul, 2011. "The impact of migration on food consumption patterns: The case of Vietnam," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 71-87, February.
    6. Peter Davis & Bob Baulch, 2010. "Casting the net wide and deep: lessons learned in a mixed-methods study of poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh," Working Papers id:2674, eSocialSciences.
    7. Beaman, Lori & Dillon, Andrew, 2012. "Do household definitions matter in survey design? Results from a randomized survey experiment in Mali," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(1), pages 124-135.
    8. Klasen, Stephan & Reimers, Malte, 2017. "Looking at Pro-Poor Growth from an Agricultural Perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 147-168.
    9. Clementi, Fabio & Molini, Vasco & Schettino, Francesco, 2018. "All that Glitters is not Gold: Polarization Amid Poverty Reduction in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 275-291.
    10. Leonardo Gasparini, 2006. "Assessing benefit-incidence results using decompositions. The case of health policy in Argentina," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 4(40), pages 1-10.
    11. Anna D'Souza & Dean Jolliffe, 2012. "Rising Food Prices and Coping Strategies: Household-level Evidence from Afghanistan," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(2), pages 282-299, August.
    12. Michael Lokshin & Nithin Umapathi & Stefano Paternostro, 2006. "Robustness of subjective welfare analysis in a poor developing country: Madagascar 2001," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(4), pages 559-591.
    13. Sami Bibi & Mustapha K. Nabli, 2009. "Income Inequality In The Arab Region: Data And Measurement, Patterns And Trends," Middle East Development Journal (MEDJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 1(02), pages 275-314.
    14. Stoddard, Pamela & Handley, Margaret A. & Vargas Bustamante, Arturo & Schillinger, Dean, 2011. "The influence of indigenous status and community indigenous composition on obesity and diabetes among Mexican adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(11), pages 1635-1643.
    15. Mohiburrahman Iqbal, 2013. "Vulnerability to expected poverty in Afghanistan," ASARC Working Papers 2013-14, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    16. John Ataguba & William M. Fonta & Hyacinth E. Ichoku, 2011. "The Determinants of Multidimensional Poverty in Nsukka, Nigeria," Working Papers PMMA 2011-13, PEP-PMMA.
    17. Mussa, Richard, 2009. "Impact of fertility on objective and subjective poverty in Malawi," MPRA Paper 16089, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Ravallion, Martin, 2010. "The Developing World's Bulging (but Vulnerable) Middle Class," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 445-454, April.
    19. Hernán Winkler, 2005. "Monitoring the Socio-Economic Conditions in Uruguay," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0026, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    20. Grimm, Michael & Harttgen, Kenneth & Klasen, Stephan & Misselhorn, Mark, 2008. "A Human Development Index by Income Groups," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2527-2546, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Poverty; Pakistan;

    JEL classification:

    • D33 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Factor Income Distribution
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:lje:journl:v:13:y:2008:i:sp:p:163-188. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Shahid Salahuddin (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsecopk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.