Fragility and Conflict - On the Front Lines of the Fight against Poverty

Jul 19, 2026

Fragility and Conflict: On the Front Lines of the Fight against Poverty examines how fragility and conflict contribute to extreme poverty and shape global outcomes. It reviews challenges in fragile and conflict-affected states, including data deprivation that limits measurement and analysis. The report highlights how improved analysis can correct underestimation of global poverty, tracks poverty rate movements across countries in these settings, and explains how chronic fragility affects economic patterns.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages116

Reading Time4 h 52 min

Introduction

An Urgent Challenge—and a Window to Respond

Book Structure

1. Fragility, Conflict, and Extreme Poverty

Key Messages

Background: Living and Dying in a Two-Speed World

Data Deprivation in FCS

Overcoming Data Deprivation

A Clearer Picture of Global Poverty

Better Analysis in FCS Shows that Global Poverty Has Been Underestimated

Poverty Rates Have Risen in FCS, as They Fall Elsewhere

Economies Chronically in FCS Are Driving the Patterns

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized FRAGILITY AND CONFLICT ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY Paul Corral Alexander Irwin Nandini Krishnan Daniel Gerszon Mahler Tara Vishwanath Fragility and Conflict Fragility and Conflict On the Front Lines of the Fight against Poverty Paul Corral, Alexander Irwin, Nandini Krishnan, Daniel Gerszon Mahler, and Tara Vishwanath © 2020 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; [Internet: www.worldbank.org](Internet: www.worldbank.org)[ ](Internet: www.worldbank.org)Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 23 22 21 20 This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) [http://creative](http://creative)[commons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license](commons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license), you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt this work, including for commercial purposes, under the following conditions: Attribution—Please cite the work as follows: Corral, Paul, Alexander Irwin, Nandini Krishnan, Daniel Gerszon Mahler, and Tara Vishwanath. 2020. Fragility and Conflict: On the FrontLines of the Fight against Poverty. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1540-9 . License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO Translations—If you create a translation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This translation was not created by The World Bank and should not be considered an official World Bank translation. The World Bank shall not be liable for any content or error in this translation. Adaptations—If you create an adaptation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This is an adaptation of an original work by The World Bank. Views and opinions expressed in the adaptation are the sole responsibility of the author or authors of the adaptation and are not endorsed by The World Bank. Third-party content—The World Bank does not necessarily own each component of the content contained within the work. The World Bank therefore does not warrant that the use of any third-party-owned individual component or part contained in the work will not infringe on the rights of those third parties. The risk of claims resulting from such infringement rests solely with you. If you wish to reuse a component of the work, it is your responsibility to determine whether permission is needed for that reuse and to obtain permission from the copyright owner. Examples of components can include, but are not limited to, tables, figures, or images. All queries on rights and licenses should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; [e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org](e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org). ISBN: 978-1-4648-1540-9 ISBN (electronic): 978-1-4648-1547-8 DOI: 10. 1596/978-1-4648-1540-9 Cover design: Bill Pragluski, Critical Stages, L

FAQs

How does fragility and conflict affect extreme poverty outcomes?

The document analyzes the mechanisms by which fragile and conflict-affected settings experience elevated and persistent extreme poverty, shaping global patterns.

What is “data deprivation” in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS)?

It refers to limited data availability that makes poverty measurement and analysis difficult, affecting how global poverty estimates are produced.

How does improved analysis change the understanding of global poverty in FCS?

Better analysis in FCS is presented as showing that global poverty has been underestimated, with clearer poverty pictures and revised assessments.

Jul 19, 2026

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