'The interest of the international development community in ‘Pro-Poor Growth’ appears to have waned.1 This Development
Viewpoint examines the pros and cons of adopting its most popular replacement, ‘inclusive growth’.
A ‘pro-poor’ approach did have the advantage of focus: concentrating on the most deprived. Judging progress involved attaching greater weight to the advance of the poor (e.g., “the
incomes of the poor grew faster than those of the non-poor”).
But what about the great mass of the non-poor, many of whom have only meagre incomes? Don’t they need greater equity?
‘Inclusive growth’ appears to address this concern. But the question remains: what exactly do we mean by including them?'. McKinley, T (2008) Centre for Development Policy and Research, School of Oriental and African Studies, Development Viewpoint 6, June, 2008