Question

what seems to be the basic problems that low income countries face in "closing the gap"?

Answer 1

The gap is widening in many parts of the globe, inclusive of wealthy, emerging and developing countries. In the low income countries the basic problem is that the urban incomes rising faster compared to rural. In rural areas there are also inequalities of opportunity – especially access to education, healthcare, and jobs that are perhaps more significant. The main mechanism through the gap widens is by undermining education opportunities for children from poor socio-economic backgrounds, thus resulting in lowering social mobility and hampering skills development. Additionally, people whose parents have low levels of skills and education see their educational outcomes deteriorate as income inequality rises.