HUMAN CAPITAL, EDUCATION AND THE ESCAPE FROM POVERTY: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Keywords:
human capital, education, health, skills, intergenerational poverty, returns to schooling, equity, lifelong learning, welfare.Abstract
This article analyses the role of human capital, and education in particular, in reducing poverty and raising the welfare of the population. It explains human capital theory, reviews the links between education, health and lifetime earnings, examines how investment in human capital breaks the intergenerational transmission of poverty, and considers the challenges of educational quality and equity. The discussion draws on global evidence and reflects on implications for developing economies.
References
1. Becker G. S. Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis. – University of Chicago Press, 1964.
2. Schultz T. W. Investment in Human Capital // American Economic Review. – 1961. – Vol. 51.
3. World Bank. World Development Report 2018: Learning to Realize Education's Promise. – Washington, D.C., 2018.
4. World Bank. The Human Capital Project and Index. – Washington, D.C., 2020.
5. UNESCO. Global Education Monitoring Report 2023. – Paris: UNESCO, 2023.
6. Sen A. Development as Freedom. – Oxford University Press, 1999.
