How can low incomes make it easier for insurgent groups to recruit fighters?

In the study of civil war, political scientists and economists have identified how low income levels facilitate the recruitment of fighters for insurgent groups.

A primary perspective, advanced by economists such as Paul Collier, suggests that low overall income reduces the "opportunity cost" of participating in a conflict. Because potential recruits have fewer stable economic prospects or lower wages in the formal economy, they have less to lose by abandoning normal activities to join an insurgency.1

Furthermore, researchers emphasize that in environments with limited economic development, insurgent groups can leverage individual incentives to attract members. When legitimate economic opportunities are scarce, individuals may be more easily mobilized if they believe they can prosper through the conflict itself—such as by engaging in looting or gaining control over valuable natural resources. This shift in focus from purely ideological grievances to the "opportunity" for violence highlights how weak state capacity and poverty create a fertile environment for rebellion.1