World Bank: Kyrgyz Republic Poverty Assessment

The World Bank in cooperation with the National Statistical Committee  Growth, Employment and Poverty

During 2000-2005 the Kyrgyz Republic enjoyed a rapid poverty fall from 63 to 43 percent of the population. Poverty was responsive to economic growth which was fuelled primarily by a very large expansion in private consumption.

For policy makers, civil society, and donors alike, the question is whether circumstances are favourable to continuing this rapid level of poverty reduction into the future. However, there may be some unease given the rapid decline in poverty yet only limited development of the real sectors.

At the moment, the Kyrgyz Republic is the second poorest country in the ECA region. Lack of access to good jobs, with a reasonable salary and some income security, is the most important reason why people cannot get out of poverty. However little is known about the limitations of the access to the labour market, the differences between rural and urban job opportunities, or the quality of employment.

The report provided by the World Bank explores the labour market in the Republic, with a specific focus on the interaction between employment opportunities and poverty. 

The full text of the report is published at www.worldbank.org