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Why conditional cash transfers programs fail to target the poor? The case of urban Mexico
[¿Por qué los programas de transferencias condicionadas no consiguen llegar a las personas más pobres? El caso de las zonas urbanas en México]

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  • Pierre Levasseur

    (SADAPT - Sciences pour l'Action et le Développement : Activités, Produits, Territoires - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

Given the limited financing capacity of developing countries, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes are an affordable means of providing a social safety net to vulnerable households. However, compliance with conditionalities may limit participation and increase dropouts, particularly when compliance-related constraints are high and cash incentives are relatively low. This empirical analysis determines how cash transfer amounts affect the probability that participating households will remain in a programme or drop out, looking at the case of Mexico, a developing country that has gradually expanded its CCT programme from rural to urban areas. Using longitudinal household surveys, this study finds that the poorest households are most likely to drop out of the programme. Interestingly, the level of cash transfers increases this probability for the poorest participants compared to the richest ones. It is concluded that the programme does not successfully retain the poorest households in the programme, because the cash incentives are too low in urban settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre Levasseur, 2021. "Why conditional cash transfers programs fail to target the poor? The case of urban Mexico [¿Por qué los programas de transferencias condicionadas no consiguen llegar a las personas más pobres? El c," Post-Print hal-02273836, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02273836
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02273836v2
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jere R. Behrman & Jorge Gallardo-Garc�a & Susan W. Parker & Petra E. Todd & Viviana V�lez-Grajales, 2012. "Are conditional cash transfers effective in urban areas? Evidence from Mexico," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 233-259, February.
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    5. Levasseur, Pierre, 2019. "Can social programs break the vicious cycle between poverty and obesity? Evidence from urban Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 143-156.
    6. Pierre Levasseur, 2019. "Can social programs break the vicious cycle between poverty and obesity?," Post-Print hal-02450319, HAL.
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