The Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid

Four billion low-income people, a majority of the world’s population, constitute the base of the economic pyramid. New empirical measures of their behavior as consumers and their aggregate purchasing power suggest significant opportunities for market-based approaches to better meet their needs, increase their productivity and incomes, and empower their entry into the formal economy. This extensive report (70 pp.), published by World Resources Institute and International Finance Corporation, looks at the market at the bottom of the pyramid, its structure, its size and segments across different geographical regions (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America). The report provides in-depth analysis and provides case studies of the BOP market’s entry for such industries as health services, information and communication, water supply, transportation, energy, food and financial services markets. The report contains a large amount of quantitative data.