Growth almost always benefits the poor. In India, poverty declined in all 14 states that achieved growth in mean income. In general, the higher the rate of growth, the more rapid the reduction in poverty. Among developing countries, the more unequal the distribution of assets, the lower future economic growth. Among countries with a very unequal distribution of assets, only Brazil has managed to grow at more than 2.5 percent a year.
Brazil is also one of the very few countries where poverty increased despite growth.
Reducing inequality is very difficult. Only a few countries with high inequality have reduced inequality at all. Between 1985 and 1990, poverty has fallen in all the countries for which data is available except for China. Between 1985 and 1990, poverty has increased in six countries, fallen in four, and remained unchanged in two. Land distribution patterns vary widely in Sub-Saharan Africa but even countries with relatively equal land distribution that pursued ineffective policies have had very low growth.