This short paper uses cross-country data on per capita cigarette consumption and selected socio-economic variables to explain inter-country differentials in consumption. It is found that the proportion of the aged in the total population and higher literacy among women have relatively greater and positive impact on cigarette consumption. Even after controlling for the effect of the two variables, a country's industrialized status has a positive impact on consumption. It would thus seem that aging and economic, and social developments are pro-cigarette consumption.

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This article succinctly summarizes the growth experience of the four East Asian tiger economies (Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan) and three Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) states (Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand). The crisis of 1997-98 had come to pass and the economies have returned to growth but not at the same tempo as in the earlier times. Several of the economies have experienced significantly reduced levels of poverty and visible inequalities. The degree of income inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient), however, stays more or less constant, with the level being especially low in economies that have taken steps to keep it low.A number of lessons and implications can be drawn from the experience of East Asia. Examples are the importance of an investor friendly economic climate, an efficient public sector; explicit advocacy of family limitation; ensuring the building up of infrastructure ahead of time; and minimising visible inequality and inequalities in opportunities.

The top 12 development journals published a total of 18,329 papers during the period 2000-2020. Out of these, just 51 focused on sanitation and related issues, which are the focus of this review. Results were mixed on the efficiency of sanitation delivery since political factors and administrative characteristics vary across locations. Accountability and leadership, especially at the local level, appear to be important driving forces. There is a need for more case studies that analyze what works, and what does not, in specific locations. Also, further studies will have to investigate how to influence the norms, traditions, and beliefs towards favorably supporting household sanitation decisions. Additionally, governments should enhance their social welfare programs to address socioeconomic inequalities (i.e., income, gender, and rural-urban disparities), which also critically affect individual and household sanitation investments. Efforts at national and international levels are needed to encourage research on the various dimensions of sanitation.