Atsushi Maki is presently with the Department of Economics, Tokyo International University, Japan. He is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Keio University, Japan. Previously, he was Professor of Economics (1987-2009) at the Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University. He has been a visiting scholar at several universities such as Harvard University and the Australian National University, and has taught at several universities and institutions such as Osaka University, ESSEC (France), KSMS (Kenya) and Willamette University as a visiting professor. His main fields are empirical analysis of consumer behaviour and market behaviour.

1. Introduction, Atsushi Maki 2. Are Luxury Goods Really Luxuries? The Validity of the Törnqvist-Wold's Hypothesis, Atsushi Maki and Mlemba Abassy Kamwe 3. Engel's Law in Vietnam and the Philippines: Effects of In-Kind Consumption on Inequality and Poverty, Atsushi Maki and Satoshi Ohira 4. Informal Agriculture Sector in Indonesia: Big in Size, Small in Contribution, and High Working Poverty Rate, Kadarmanto 5. Effects of Remittances on Income Inequality and Poverty in the Philippines, Satoshi Ohira and Karen Villaquer Firshan 6. Area Disparity of Income and Expenditure in Sri Lanka - Based on Micro Data Sets of Household Income and Expenditure Survey of 2006/07, Yasumasa Baba, Yuko Arai, Hiroko Yasui and Kaori Yonezawa 7. The Agricultural Sector in Thailand's Middle-Income Stage, Satoshi Ohira and Atsushi Maki 8. The possibility of a border economic zone: Asian Golden Quadrangle, Satoko Okuyama 9. Development of the fishery systems in modern Taiwan, Nobutake Koiwa 10. Conclusion, Atsushi Maki

There are many problems regarding poverty, inequality and growth in developing countries in Asia and Africa. Policy makers at the national level and at international institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and others have implemented various policies in order to decrease poverty and inequality. This book provides empirical observations on Asian countries and Africa. Each chapter provides theoretical and empirical analysis on regional case studies with an emphasis on policy implications.

The book will be of use to many who wish to assess and improve policies in developing countries and mitigate poverty and inequality, and stimulate growth, by drawing on relevant empirical research and economic theories. Clearly, there have been numerous policy failures and the book aims to provide a basis for improving policies and outcomes based on relevant empirical observations.