Thematic Evaluation Study: ADB's Support for Inclusive Growth (Complete Report)

Abstract

Inclusive growth has become a catchphrase in discussions of development policies and strategies among practitioners and policymakers. For Asia and the Pacific, where stellar growth is being challenged by still pervasive poverty and rising inequality, inclusive growth must be more than just a highly desirable but rather vague goal: it is an imperative for achieving sustained and equitable growth. The urgency of achieving inclusive growth is largely driven by poverty and inequality issues. Some 790 million people in the region lived on $1.25 or less a day during the first decade of the 2000s. Income inequality is rising because economic opportunities that can be achieved through quality education and health care, basic infrastructure, and productive employment are generally not equitably available. Support for measures to address income and non-income dimensions of poverty and inequality are therefore crucial.