Rural Access IndexA Headline IndicatorRural Access Index (RAI) is to show the proportion of the rural population which has adequate access to the transport systemRAI is usually defined in terms of road transportMeasurement is based on household survey data where it is available

Rural Access IndexA Headline IndicatorCLICK one of the following buttons to watch a slide show1. Global rural access and its association to maternal mortality2. Progress on rural access and poverty reduction at the provincial level in Vietnam3. Variations in rural access by region, by the eligibility status of Bank loans of a country, and by sub-national region

Approximately 1011 million, or 31 percent of the world rural population, do not have adequate access to transport

There are significant associations between rural access and other important factors such as maternal mortality

Countries with high maternal mortality rates tend to have low RAIs -- 10 Highest MMR

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And countries with low maternal mortality rates tend to have high RAIs -- 10 Lowest MMR

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Rural access improved significantly in Vietnam from an average of 76% to 84 % at the provincial level, 2002 - 2004Sources: VHLSS, 2002, 2004

Incidence of poverty also dropped significantly from an average of 41% to 24% at the provincial level, 1999 - 2004Sources: VHLSS, 1998, 2002, 2003; Population Census, 1999

Provinces that improved in rural access tend to have also reduced poverty significantly

There are large variations in rural access, not only by country but also by region

And also by the eligibility status ofBank loans of a country

But variations are often more pronounced by sub-national region

Moreover, changes in rural access may also vary significantly across sub-national regions