Advancing Sustainable Development Goal 1: A Report on Enhanced Poverty Data in the MENA Region

The Critical Role of Data in Achieving SDG 1: No Poverty

• Timely, reliable, and open data is fundamental for tracking progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1).
• Effective policy design and response to emerging needs are contingent on robust data infrastructure.
• Recent improvements in the availability and accessibility of household budget surveys have enabled the first-ever measurement of post-pandemic poverty in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, a critical step for SDG 1 assessment.

Overcoming Historical Data Scarcity for SDG Monitoring

• Historically, significant data scarcity in the MENA region has impeded the World Bank’s ability to produce current international poverty rates, directly impacting the monitoring of SDG 1.
• The availability, access, and timeliness of household budget surveys, which are essential for estimating poverty and inequality, were previously insufficient.
• Consequently, the September 2024 global poverty update from the World Bank included MENA data only up to 2018, as the region failed to meet the minimum survey coverage requirements post-2019.
• Regional population coverage by household budget surveys demonstrated a sharp decline:
  • 2018: 51.3%
  • 2019: 48.3%
  • Post-pandemic: 28.7%

Recent Breakthroughs in Regional Data Coverage

• In a significant development, the inclusion of new post-pandemic surveys has increased regional population coverage from 28.7% to 67.4%.
• This enhancement allows for the release of regional poverty estimates for the post-pandemic years, providing crucial insight into progress toward SDG 1.
• New surveys incorporated to achieve this coverage include:
  1. Egypt (2021)
  2. Iran (2023)
  3. Iraq (2023)
  4. West Bank and Gaza (2023)
  5. Lebanon (2022)
  6. Tunisia (2021)
  7. Syria (2022)
• With data from 7 of the 12 developing countries in MENA now included, the region is positioned to potentially achieve data coverage comparable to the world average of 76%.

Collaborative Efforts and Capacity Building for the Goals (SDG 17)

• The improvement in data availability is a direct result of the persistent efforts of National Statistical Agencies operating amidst regional challenges.
• This progress exemplifies the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), with the World Bank providing crucial support to national partners.
• World Bank contributions supporting SDG Target 17.18 (enhance capacity-building support) include:
  • Providing technical assistance, resources, and advice during survey preparation and implementation.
  • Developing foundational knowledge and technical guidelines for poverty measurement.
  • Conducting capacity-building initiatives, such as an accelerated data workshop for 31 statisticians from 10 regional countries.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 1: No Poverty

• The article explicitly states its focus is on the “fight against poverty” and tracking progress toward “Sustainable Development Goals SDG1.” The entire text revolves around the challenges and recent improvements in measuring poverty levels in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article highlights the collaborative efforts required to improve data collection. It mentions the work of “National Statistical Agencies” and the support provided by the “World Bank” in the form of “technical assistance, resources, and advice.” This partnership is presented as crucial for enhancing statistical capacity in the region.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere.
• Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
• Explanation: The article’s focus on producing “international poverty rates” and “regional poverty estimates” is fundamental to monitoring progress towards eradicating extreme poverty (Target 1.1) and reducing poverty according to national definitions (Target 1.2). The article notes that without this data, “we are unable to track progress.”

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.18: By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries… to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income…
• Explanation: The article directly addresses this target by describing the historical “data scarcity” in the MENA region and the recent improvements. It details the World Bank’s support to National Statistical Agencies through “technical assistance,” “resources,” and an “accelerated data workshop,” which are all forms of capacity-building aimed at increasing the availability of timely and reliable data.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

For Targets 1.1 and 1.2

• Indicator 1.1.1: Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line.
• Explanation: The article directly refers to the “international poverty rates” that the World Bank produces. The entire discussion about the lack of data preventing the calculation of these rates and the recent update allowing for new “regional poverty estimates” is centered on this specific indicator. The “household budget surveys” mentioned are the primary data source for this indicator.

For Target 17.18

• Implied Indicator: Availability and coverage of timely and reliable data sources.
• Explanation: The article provides a direct quantitative measure for this. It states that “regional population coverage by household budget surveys” is a key metric. It quantifies the progress by noting the coverage increased “from 28.7 percent to 67.4 percent” after the inclusion of new post-pandemic surveys. This serves as a direct indicator of progress towards Target 17.18.
• Implied Indicator: Implementation of capacity-building initiatives.
• Explanation: The article mentions specific activities that serve as indicators of capacity-building efforts, such as the World Bank providing “technical assistance, resources, and advice” and conducting an “accelerated data workshop” for “31 statisticians from 10 countries.” These actions are concrete measures of the support being provided.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: blogs.worldbank.org