In the 1990s poverty has decreased, but not markedly.
Economic growth is a key element for poverty reduction.
However, poverty reduction may go slower than desired if current levels of inequality persist. Latin America and the Caribbean continue to suffer from one of the most unequal income distributions in the world, a distinction which has remained unchanged for several decades. The issue, thus, is not necessarily the availability of resources, at least for all but the poorest countries in the region. What is needed is the political will, supported by technically sound policies and programs, to aggressively confront poverty. For the majority of countries in the region, today's economic perspectives are incomparably better than they were in the past.