Poverty

CMI studies the underlying societal and market mechanisms that may explain why people stay poor, and the design and impacts of programs to reduce poverty.

Current projects

Jun 2021 - May 2026

Jobs Network

Completed projects

Jan 2015 - Dec 2017

Inequality in Angola

Jan 2011 - Dec 2014

Poverty and entrepreneurship

Jun 2011 - Dec 2012

Democracy and corruption

Aug 2009 - Dec 2012

Inclusive growth in India

Magnus Hatlebakk

Senior Researcher; Coordinator: Poverty Dynamics

Viola Asri

Senior Researcher

Bjørn Enge Bertelsen

Affiliated Senior Researcher

Sosina Bezu

Associated Senior Researcher

Anwesha Dutta

Senior Researcher

Jon Einar Flåtnes

Interim Research Director; Senior Researcher; Coordinator Climate & Natural Resources

Peter Hangoma

Senior Researcher

Jan Isaksen

Emeritus

Ivar Kolstad

Associated Research Professor

Samwel Jonathan Nassary

Research Assistant under Tax Group

Saumya Pandey

Doctoral Researcher

Charlotte Ringdal

Senior Researcher

Carmeliza Rosario

Post-doctoral Researcher

Edyta Roszko

Research Professor, Principal Investigator: TransOcean (ERC Starting Grant)

Hilde Selbervik

Associated Senior Researcher

Ingrid Hoem Sjursen

Senior Researcher

Vincent Somville

Associated Senior Researcher

Bert Suykens

Affiliated Senior Researcher

Inge Tvedten

Emeritus

Arne Wiig

Research Professor

James Wintrup

Senior Researcher

Creating jobs and opportunities for the poor

We study the underlying societal and market mechanisms that may explain why people stay poor, and the design and impacts of programs to reduce poverty.

Jobs and access to finance are essential for poverty eradication and are at the heart of our research agenda.

We combine deep knowledge of particular regions in the South with analytical and empirical methods to understand why people stay poor, and to evaluate policy interventions.

The team has decades of experience from qualitative and quantitative research and commissioned work, with a focus
on East-Africa and South Asia.

Our research and evaluation expertise:

  • Private sector development 
  • Entrepreneurial training 
  • Microfinance including savings and credit 
  • Informal credit markets and small-scale investments
  • Income diversification 
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Rural and urban labour markets, including migration 
  • Female empowerment and education 
  • Fertility and intra-household decisions

 

CMI Poverty Expertise