General Article Coronavirus is pushing people into poverty – but temporary basic income can stop this

Topic Selected: Poverty Book Volume: 377

Coronavirus is pushing people into poverty – but temporary basic income can stop this

Eduardo Ortiz-Juarez, King's College London

The rapid spread of COVID-19 across developing countries has led to a devastating loss of life and livelihoods. The pandemic is having both immediate economic effects and long-lasting consequences on development. This is because developing economies are less able to handle shocks than advanced ones.

Around 80% of workers in developing countries are engaged in tasks that are unlikely to be performed from home, meaning lockdowns are preventing them from working. And 70% of workers make a living in informal markets, with the majority not being covered by any form of social protection. COVID-19 containment measures are leaving a large number of people without any income.

Global poverty has fallen over the past three decades, but many of those lifted out of it have remained vulnerable. They sit just above the poverty line, but are ineligible for existing anti-...

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