prasunshrestha / understanding_poverty_data_across_nations

A panel data analysis of the effects of different educational attainment levels on poverty alleviation, aggregating the poverty rate dataset from the World Bank and Barro-Lee educational attainment data of 108 nations from 1975-2010. Nepal and Ethiopia's case studies follow to unearth the dimensions of poverty not explained by the econometrics, such as culture.

Summary

A panel data analysis of the effects of different educational attainment levels on poverty alleviation, aggregating the poverty rate dataset from the World Bank and Barro-Lee educational attainment data of 108 nations from 1975-2010. Nepal and Ethiopia's case studies follow to unearth the dimensions of poverty not explained by the econometrics, such as culture.

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This paper examines the effect of educational attainment on poverty rate through a panel data approach and case studies. The dataset builds on Barro and Lee’s educational attainment and World’s Bank poverty rate dataset of 108 nations from 1975 to 2010 in 5-year intervals. The educational attainment variables were classified into three categories: average years of total schooling, total education in primary, secondary, and tertiary level, and educational enrollment and completion in each level. Using univariate and multivariate linear OLS regression model and country and time/year fixed effects, the paper finds that poverty rate has a statistically significant inverse relationship with primary education – total, complete, and incomplete – and gender parity index at primary and secondary education level. Case studies of Nepal and Ethiopia,likewise, unearth the dimensions of poverty not gleaned by the regressions.

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Note: This paper was my senior capstone submitted under the mentorship of Dr. Edward M. Feasel, president of the Soka University of America.
Date: August 2018 - May 2019