Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas

The paper examines, taking into account the urban-rural divides, the changes and welfare implications of income diversification in Zimbabwe following macroeconomic policy changes and droughts of the early 1990s. Data from two comparable national income, consumption, and expenditure surveys in 1990/9...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Ersado, Lire
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2003
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155731
_version_ 1855516182414622720
author Ersado, Lire
author_browse Ersado, Lire
author_facet Ersado, Lire
author_sort Ersado, Lire
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The paper examines, taking into account the urban-rural divides, the changes and welfare implications of income diversification in Zimbabwe following macroeconomic policy changes and droughts of the early 1990s. Data from two comparable national income, consumption, and expenditure surveys in 1990/91 and 1995/96 show that the percentage of households earning income from private and informal sources grew considerably while that from government and formal sources declined. In general, rural households tend to have a more diversified portfolio of income compared to urban and the degree of income diversification decreases with the level of urbanization. However, there are important differences in the level of diversification within the rural and urban areas, depending on wealth: while the relatively better-off households have a more diversified income base in rural areas, it is the poor that pursue multiple income sources in urban areas. A decomposition of changes in welfare indicates that the total contribution of income diversification is large and increased between 1990/91 and 1995/96 in both urban and rural areas. On the other hand, there were significant declines in returns to human and physical capital assets during the same period. The findings suggest that households with a more diversified income base are better able to withstand the unfavorable impacts of the policy changes and weather shocks. The fact that relatively better-off households have a more diversified income base following the shocks implies that the poor are more vulnerable to economic changes unaccompanied by well-designed safety nets. -- Author's Abstract
format Artículo preliminar
id CGSpace155731
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2003
publishDateRange 2003
publishDateSort 2003
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1557312025-11-06T05:19:33Z Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas Ersado, Lire safety equipment income distribution livelihoods rural urban relations The paper examines, taking into account the urban-rural divides, the changes and welfare implications of income diversification in Zimbabwe following macroeconomic policy changes and droughts of the early 1990s. Data from two comparable national income, consumption, and expenditure surveys in 1990/91 and 1995/96 show that the percentage of households earning income from private and informal sources grew considerably while that from government and formal sources declined. In general, rural households tend to have a more diversified portfolio of income compared to urban and the degree of income diversification decreases with the level of urbanization. However, there are important differences in the level of diversification within the rural and urban areas, depending on wealth: while the relatively better-off households have a more diversified income base in rural areas, it is the poor that pursue multiple income sources in urban areas. A decomposition of changes in welfare indicates that the total contribution of income diversification is large and increased between 1990/91 and 1995/96 in both urban and rural areas. On the other hand, there were significant declines in returns to human and physical capital assets during the same period. The findings suggest that households with a more diversified income base are better able to withstand the unfavorable impacts of the policy changes and weather shocks. The fact that relatively better-off households have a more diversified income base following the shocks implies that the poor are more vulnerable to economic changes unaccompanied by well-designed safety nets. -- Author's Abstract 2003 2024-10-24T12:42:29Z 2024-10-24T12:42:29Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155731 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ersado, Lire. 2003. Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas. FCND Discussion Paper 152. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155731
spellingShingle safety equipment
income distribution
livelihoods
rural urban relations
Ersado, Lire
Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas
title Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas
title_full Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas
title_fullStr Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas
title_full_unstemmed Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas
title_short Income diversification in Zimbabwe: welfare implications from urban and rural areas
title_sort income diversification in zimbabwe welfare implications from urban and rural areas
topic safety equipment
income distribution
livelihoods
rural urban relations
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155731
work_keys_str_mv AT ersadolire incomediversificationinzimbabwewelfareimplicationsfromurbanandruralareas