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This article aims to present recent changes in the macroeconomic policy framework in Brazil and its effects on social policy, particularly with regard to poverty reduction. From 2003 onwards, a new pattern of economic growth prevails, reducing poverty and inequality on the grounds of domestic market expansion and low income groups consumption. This paper also outlines the remaining challenges for achieving social equity and inclusion, highlighting a major issue in the pending agenda: a progressive tax reform in order to leverage the financing of universal social policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Growth is good for the poor" is a ubiquitous statement and one generally backed by theory, research and history. In the long-run, growth reduces poverty. Yet, growth in output - per se - is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for poverty reduction in the short-term. The paper uses a number of parametric and non-parametric methodologies to assess the relation between growth and poverty in Kazakhstan, a country that experienced rapid growth and poverty reduction in the short-term. Combining macro and micro regional data, we find a very small trickle down effect of output growth on household incomes and no evidence that output growth is correlated with poverty reduction. We find instead that pro-poor growth in household income explains well poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite success in reducing poverty over the last twenty years, inequality in Chile has remained virtually unchanged, making Chile one of the least equal countries in the world. High levels of inequality have been shown to hamper further reductions in poverty as well as economic growth and local inequality has been shown to affect such outcomes as violence and health. The study of inequality at the local level is thus crucial for understanding the economic well-being of a country. Local measures of inequality have been difficult to obtain, but recent theoretical advances have enabled the combination of survey and census data to obtain estimators of inequality that are robust at disaggregated geographic levels. In this paper, we employ this methodology to produce consistent estimators of inequality for every county in Chile. We find a great deal of variation in inequality, with county-level Gini coefficients ranging from 0.41 to 0.63. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria is perhaps the most blessed country in Africa, in terms of its abundant mineral resources, agricultural and forest resources, distinctively more favourable climatic conditions and highly diverse human resources. These factors, alongside its overwhelmingly increasing population for foreign investment potentially and strategically put the responsibility of economic development on Nigeria, with its citizens expected to live not below the average standard of living. It is paradoxical however, that most Nigerians are poor. This study reviewed trends in poverty level in Nigeria from 1980-2014, examined the causes of poverty and inequality in Nigeria, evaluated Nigeria's potentials for a post-2015 development agenda, evaluated the level of satisfaction with the implementation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as the desirability level for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study found corruption, weak institution and poor governance; unemployment and underemployment; and high population growth as the major causes of poverty and inequality in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]