The majority of the world’s poorest people live and work in rural areas. The 2008 World Bank World Development Report ‘Agriculture for Development’ puts the figure at 75%. Regional differences are striking, ranging from 41% of poor people living in rural areas in Latin America and Caribbean to almost 93% in East Asia and Pacific region.
Definitions of urban and rural differ by country, and lines between the two can be blurred, for example in peri-urban areas people often pursue livelihood strategies that are akin to more rural settings, while rural towns might provide opportunities for rural non-farm incomes for people living in villages. There are often strong links and dependencies between rural and urban areas, through migration and flows of remittances and goods.
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