Assessing the Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Program on Poor Households With Different Causes of Poverty: Evidence From Rural China

ABSTRACT Poverty alleviation is a critical concern in developing countries. China launched the Targeted Poverty Alleviation (TPA) program and implemented a series of anti‐poverty initiatives, aiming to reduce poverty and enhance the well‐being of rural households. The TPA program has been recognized as significantly promoting rural development, but whether it can benefit all poor households equally has been underexplored. This study systematically examines the impact of the TPA program on poor households with different causes of poverty and empirically analyzes income differences across household and village types under different income groups using a linear quantile mixed model (LQMM), based on survey data from a high‐altitude deep‐poverty county in southwest China. The results indicate an income imbalance among poor households with different causes of poverty, whereas households in poor and non‐poor villages exhibit equivalent development. Differences are more pronounced at higher income quantiles, suggesting that the policy provides relatively uniform benefits to poorer households. Analysis of income sources reveals disparities between wage and transfer incomes, while benefits from business income remain consistent. These findings underscore the need for sustained policy support to enhance the stability and sustainability of poverty alleviation and income transformation among low‐income households. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the TPA program, and the recommendations derived from the results can serve as references for poverty alleviation in rural areas of developing countries.