YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2004 the poverty
level in Armenia reduced by 38.3% compared with 1998-99 and made
34.6% and abject poverty by 70% and made 6.4%. These data were
presented in the joint report of the World Bank (WB) and RA
National Statistical Service under the title "Armenia's Social
Picture and Poverty", the presentation of which took place on
February 28. The report included the results of studies
conducted in 2004 at 6816 home farms.
As Diana Martirosova, Head of the Department on Home Farms
Study of RA National Statistical Service, mentioned, poverty
still remains a serious problem for Armenia as the number of
poor people in the country reaches about a million, at that 200
thousand of them are abjectly poor. According to her, the
highest poverty level was fixed in the Shirak region and the
lowest in Vayots Dzor and Yerevan.
It was mentioned that unequal character of distribution and
realization of revenues between different layers of society was
determined by the Gini coefficient (the higher this level is the
more unequal is the degree of distribution and realization of
revenues). Thus, in 2004 Gini coefficient in accordance with the
revenues made 0.395 (against 0.597 in 1998-99) and in accordance
with the realization 0.26 (against 0.301 in 1998-99).
Nevertheless, in 2004 this index was the highest among the
European and Central Asian countries. D.Martirosova said that
a sum amounting to nearly 5.2 bln drams is necessary for
liquidating abject poverty in Armenia and about 54.4 bln drams
(nearly 120 mln USD) is required for poverty reduction in
general.
Roger Robinson, Director of WB Yerevan Office, mentioned
that the report will enable to make poverty reduction process in
Armenia more concrete.