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Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung Center for Development Research University of Bonn Marginality: Addressing the Root Causes of Extreme Poverty What is the Problem? Although there has been progress in reducing the number of poor at the global level, especially those just below the income poverty line of about 1$/day, pro - gress for the poorest has been slowest. The ultra-poor, those living from less than 63 cents/day have reached 223 million in 2005. The poorest are becoming increasingly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Poverty and widespread hunger remain even in regions that have experienced rapid economic growth and substantial reductions in poverty. Whereas the number of urban poor is increasing rapidly, the poor are still predo - minantly rural. Poverty and hunger reduction has been slower among the poorest and among excluded groups—ethnic minorities, disadvantaged people, and the disabled— causing poverty and hunger to be increasingly concentrated in these groups. Learn more: http://www.zef.de/margip.html What is marginality? Marginality is an involuntary position and condition of an individual or group at the margins of social, political, economic, ecological and biophysical systems, pre - venting them from access to resources, assets, services, restraining freedom of choice, preventing the development of capabilities, and eventually causing extreme poverty. The poorest themselves have descri - bed their situation as being trapped in a “complex knot which can lead to further knots if the wrong threads are pulled.” Who are the marginalized poor? The marginalized poor are those who are affected by both margi - nalization and poverty. Findings to date show that there is a correla - tion between remoteness, exclusi - on and extreme poverty and that the incidence of extreme poverty and food insecurity is concentrated in remote rural areas. In addition, the poorest often belong to ethnic minorities and socially excluded groups. Marginalized but not poor Poor but not marginalizedMarginalized and poor What can be done to reduce marginality ? Marginality is an involuntary position and condition of an individual or group at the margins of social, political, economic, ecological and biophysical systems, preventing them from access to resources, assets, services, res - training freedom of choice, preventing the development of capabilities, and eventually causing extreme poverty. The poorest themselves have described their situation as being trapped in a “complex knot which can lead to further knots if the wrong threads are pulled.” Contact: Dr. Franz W. Gatzweiler Center for Development Research, ZEF Bonn Walter-Flex-Straße 3 53113 Bonn gatzweiler@uni-bonn.de Poor living on less than 1.25$/day 1,373 million in 2005 Sub- Saharan Africa 28% East Asia & Paci�c South Asia 44% Europe & Central Asia 1% La�n America & the Caribbean 3% Middle East & North Africa 1% Graw, V. et al. 2011 Data: Ahmed, A. 2011