The programme's success was, in part, due to the fact that it replaced other poorly targeted subsidies, suggesting that good targeting is important for reducing poverty. Furthermore, the Mexican experience highlights the importance of rigorous independent monitoring and impact evaluation, which gave the programme legitimacy and enabled it to be scaled up and improved on the basis of lessons learned regarding design and implementation. The programme has been credited with a reduction in poverty and extreme poverty by 1.9 and 1.6 percentage points, respectively, between 2003 and 2009. That corresponds to 13 percent of poverty and 32 percent of extreme poverty.