The Prize in Economic Sciences 2019

Abstract

Experimental approaches have considerably enhanced our ability to fight global poverty in the last two decades. By dividing the fight against poverty into smaller, more manageable questions, such as seeking the most effective interventions for improving educational outcomes or child health, and answering these smaller questions through carefully designed experiments among affected people, researchers have significantly improved our understanding of how to alleviate poverty in practice. Findings from these studies have led to positive changes in policies, resulting in millions of people benefiting from effective programs and subsidies, demonstrating the potential for further improvements in the lives of the worst-off people around the world. – AI-generated abstract.