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Toward better global poverty measures

The Journal of Economic Inequality volume 14, pages 227–248 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

While much progress has been made over the last 25 years in measuring global poverty, there are a number of challenges ahead. The paper discusses three sets of problems: (i) how to allow for social effects on welfare, recognizing the identification issues involved; (ii) the need to monitor progress in raising the consumption floor above its biological level, in addition to counting the number of people living near the floor; and (iii) addressing the longstanding concerns about prevailing approaches to making inter-country comparisons of price levels facing poor people. Some suggestions are offered for operational solutions, building on past research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA

    Martin Ravallion

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  1. Martin Ravallion
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Correspondence to Martin Ravallion.

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Ravallion, M. Toward better global poverty measures. J Econ Inequal 14, 227–248 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-016-9323-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-016-9323-9

Keywords

  • Absolute poverty
  • Relative poverty
  • Consumption floor
  • Purchasing power parity
  • International comparison program