Impact sur la pauvreté et perceptions de la crise économique au Sénégal: Analyses quantitative et qualitative[Impact on Poverty and Perceptions of the Economic Crisis in Senegal: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis]

This article analyzes the impact of the economic crisis (rising food and oil prices and financial crisis) on the situation of households in Senegal using both a quantitative analysis of household survey data and a qualitative analysis from focus groups. Before the crisis, Senegal had experienced a dramatic reduction of poverty, and this is observed whether one relies on objective measures of poverty based on consumption or subjective assessments by households. Despite this progress, many household were however still not able to meet many of their basic needs. Simulations conducted for this study suggest that the recent rise in food and oil prices has had a negative impact on poverty. Qualitative data collected through focus groups and individual interviews confirm that the standards of living have deteriorated. Many households are talking about a lack of income generating activities and threats that the crisis represents for their traditional livelihoods. The rising cost of basic commodities, higher levels of debt, and limited access to credit also contributed to a deterioration in living standards. Households have limited means to cope with the crisis beyond increasing working hours, especially for women, and adjusting their food consumption patterns, for example by eating food of lower quality. The crisis has also increased tensions in some communities, and it seems to have weakened traditional mechanisms of solidarity between households. What emerges is a country that has made considerable progress over the last fifteen years towards poverty reduction, but that remains vulnerable to external and internal shocks.