Haiti: Toward a New Narrative. Systematic Country Diagnostic
Singh and Barton-Dock diagnose Haitian poverty as a failure of the compact between state and citizens. Around 59 percent of Haitians were poor in 2012 and a quarter could not cover food needs, while income per head fell 0.7 percent a year on average between 1971 and 2013. The evidence assembled shows a state that collects little, taxes regressively and delivers less: revenue is low by regional standards and leans on indirect taxes, spending on health, education and social protection sits near 5 percent of GDP, fuel subsidies flow overwhelmingly to the richest tenth, and most primary pupils attend fee-charging non-public schools. Growth by itself would not close the gap, since cutting extreme poverty to 3 percent by 2030 would demand rates two or three times the best Haiti has recorded. Consultations with stakeholders shaped five packages the report insists must advance together: macroeconomic stability, better statistics, jobs and infrastructure, rebuilding the social contract, and reducing disaster vulnerability.
Singh, R. J., & Barton-Dock, M. (2015). Haiti: Toward a New Narrative. Systematic Country Diagnostic. World Bank.