RED 2026 - Chapter 8: Access to quality services for comprehensive rural development
Abstract
Access to quality infrastructure and basic services is a fundamental pillar of household well-being and productive development. However, low population density and the geographic dispersion of rural areas make it difficult to achieve economies of scale and drive up provision costs, a phenomenon exacerbated by structural transformation and demographic transition. In turn, services form an interconnected system: limitations in one can affect access to and the quality of others, restricting effective use and diluting social benefits, which reduces incentives for private investment and gives the government a central role in their expansion and regulation. This chapter examines access to and the quality of infrastructure and services with a direct impact on rural well-being and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean—drinking water, sanitation, and electricity; physical and digital connectivity; education; health; and financial services. It shows that, although coverage gaps have narrowed in several areas, significant differences in quality persist. Finally, the chapter discusses a set of policies aimed at improving access to quality services in rural areas.
Subject
Country / Region
Date
2026-04-13Cite this publication
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Author
Buccari, FlorenciaRosá, Tatiana
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