The relationship between education and poverty reduction in Ecuador

Authors

Keywords:

Poverty, education, income, binomial logit

Abstract

Education is considered an important driver in poverty reduction, as it is a fundamental tool for generating development and raising the standard of living in society. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between education and income poverty reduction in Ecuador, using a binomial Logit model to determine the effect and statistical significance of different levels of educational attainment on the probability of poverty. Data from the National Survey of Employment, Unemployment, and Underemployment (ENEMDU) for June 2025, conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), were used, with a total of 28,072 observations. The main results of the Logit model showed that having no educational level increases the probability of poverty by 8.32%, while having a middle/high school or higher educational level reduces the probability of poverty by 3.08% and 11.07%, respectively. Considering the findings of this study, policymakers in Ecuador should value the significant role of education in poverty reduction and ensure access to quality education for the entire population through public policies.

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Published

2026-07-29