Extreme poverty doubled in Southern Africa in 20 years

[We whites predicted this. But everyone called us liars. Now the facts are in - yet nobody dares to say we were right. Nobody dares to say we told the TRUTH all along. Everyone ignores us, as if we don't exist. But this is the truth - life WAS BETTER FOR EVERYONE INCLUDING BLACKS UNDER COLONIAL/APARTHEID RULE!! And here are the World Bank's facts to prove it. Jan]

EXTREME poverty in sub-Saharan Africa defined as people living on less than $1 a day has almost doubled in 20 years, according to the latest World Development Report, published by the World Bank.

This was in contrast to the overall trend in developing countries, where poverty has declined, mainly due to faster economic growth in China and India.

According to the World Bank, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in developing countries dropped from 40% to 21% of global population between 1981 and 2001.

However, the bank's report highlighted "worrisome trends" in subSaharan Africa, where the number of people in extreme poverty climbed to 314-million in 2001 from 164-million in 1981.

"Moreover, Africa represented the one region where the proportion of very poor people increased, rising to 46,5% in 2001 from 41,6% of the population in 1981," the bank said.

The main reason for the rise in poverty was a 15% contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the region over the 20 years. In contrast, GDP per capita in China rose by more than five times since 1981.

François Bourguignon, the bank's chief economist, said China and India's growth performance helped deliver a "dramatic reduction in the number of poor", which could result in the development goal of halving poverty worldwide by 2015 being met.

However, the goal which was agreed by 189 countries at the United Nations in 2000 may be beyond the reach of some poorer countries, the bank's report said.

The bank's president, James Wolfensohn, said at a press briefing that the objective of poverty eradication was being sidelined as the countries focus on issues of global terrorism. With Sapa-AFP

Source: Business Day

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