I oL,ICY RESEARCI-I WORKING PAPER _2551_

# Summary **findings**

Komives, Whittington, and Wu use the World<sup>Bank's</sup> Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS)<sup>surveys</sup> from 15 countries (covering more than 55,500 households) to examine the relationship between infrastructure coverage and household income.<sup>The</sup> results show that throughout the world all income groups have much higher levels of coverage<sup>for</sup> electricity than for other formal infrastructure<sup>services</sup> (in-house piped water service, sewerage<sup>service, and</sup> private telephone service).

In many countries most households in urban<sup>areas now</sup> have electricity service. As monthly household<sup>incomes</sup> increase from $100 to $250, coverage of<sup>all these</sup> infrastructure services rises, but at different<sup>rates.</sup> The findings confirm that the very poor rarely<sup>have</sup> these infrastructure services-with exceptions.<sup>The very</sup> poor often do have electricity if they live in<sup>urban areas.</sup> The very poor in Eastern Europe and Central<sup>Asia have</sup> much higher levels of coverage than those<sup>elsewhere in</sup> the world; they often have electricity, water,<sup>sewer, and</sup> telephone services.

The results also suggest that if the poor gain access<sup>to</sup> services in their communities, many will<sup>decide to</sup> connect.

This paper-a product of the Private Provision<sup>of Public Services Group, Private Sector Advisory Services Department-</sup> is part of a larger effort in the department to<sup>identify ways of improving services to the poor through private participation</sup> in infrastructure. Preparation of the paper<sup>was supported by the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility, a</sup> multidonor technical assistance facility aimed<sup>at helping developing countries improve the quality of their infrastructure</sup> through private sector involvement. For<sup>more information on the facility see the Web site www.ppiaf.org. Copies of this</sup> paper are available free from the World Bank,<sup>1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433. Please contact Shokraneh</sup> Minovi, room 19-320, telephone 202-473-0012,<sup>fax 202-522-3481, email address sminovi@worldbank.org. Policy</sup> Research Working Papers are also posted<sup>on the Web at http://econ.worldbank.org. The authors may be contacted at</sup> komives@email.unc.edu, dwhittin@email.unc.edu,<sup>or xun@email.unc.edu. February 2001. (46 pages)</sup> _The Policy Research Working Paper Series_<sup>_disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about_</sup> _development issues. An objective of the_<sup>_series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The_</sup> _papers carry the names of the authors and_<sup>_should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this_</sup> _paper are entirely those of the authors. They_<sup>_do not necessarily represent the view of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or the_</sup> _countries they represent._ Produced by the Policy Research Dissemination<sup>Center</sup>