The relationship between inequality and poverty in developing countries: mitigating role of virtual social network and internet access in schools

Simplice Asongu and Peter Agyemang-Mintah ()
Additional contact information
Peter Agyemang-Mintah: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

No 24/011, Working Papers from European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS)

Abstract: This research complements the extant literature on poverty and inequality by assessing the role ‘virtual social networks’ and ‘internet access in schools’ in mitigating the incidence of inequality on poverty. Using secondary data, the focus of the study is on developing countries and the empirical evidence is based on Tobit regressions. The study shows that inequality unconditionally increases poverty while ‘virtual social networks’ and ‘internet access in schools’ negatively moderate the effect of inequality on poverty. An extended analysis provides thresholds of ‘virtual social networks’ and ‘internet access in schools’ at which, the unconditional positive effect of inequality on poverty is completely dampened and above which, negative incidences on poverty are apparent. These attendant information technology thresholds are below average levels in the sampled countries. The study complements that extant literature by assessing the role of virtual social networks and internet access in schools in mitigating the incidence of inequality on poverty in developing countries. Policy implications are discussed in the light of Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords: information technology, inequality; poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D10 D14 D31 D60 O30 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20
Date: 2024-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ict and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Forthcoming: International Journal of Social Economics

Downloads: (external link)
http://publications.excas.org/RePEc/exs/exs-wpaper ... loping-countries.pdf Revised version, 2024 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:exs:wpaper:24/011

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Anutechia Asongu Simplice ().