Poverty Lines across the World

National poverty lines vary greatly across the world, from under $1 per person per day to over $40 (at 2005 purchasing power parity). What accounts for these huge differences, and can they be understood within a common global definition of poverty?...

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Main Author: Ravallion, Martin
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100427143536
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3771
id okr-10986-3771
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ABSOLUTE POVERTY
ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINE
ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINES
AGGREGATE INCOME
AGGREGATE POVERTY
AGREED METRIC
ASSESSING WELFARE
BASIC CONSUMPTION
BASIC CONSUMPTION NEEDS
BASIC NEEDS
BASIC NEEDS METHOD
CALORIC REQUIREMENTS
CASE STUDY
COMMODITY BUNDLE
COMMON UTILITY FUNCTION
COMPARABLE UTILITY FUNCTION
COMPARING POVERTY
CONSISTENT POVERTY LINES
CONSUMER DEMAND
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
CONSUMPTION BUNDLE
CONSUMPTION DATA
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE
CONSUMPTION NEEDS
CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA
DEFINITIONS OF POVERTY
DEMAND BEHAVIOR
DEMAND FUNCTIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION
DERIVED UTILITY FUNCTION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRY
DEVELOPING WORLD
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
ECONOMIC CONTRACTION
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC LITERATURE
ECONOMIC MODELS
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC REVIEW
ECONOMIC SURVEYS
ECONOMIC THEORY
ECONOMICS
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIP
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORK
EQUIVALENCE SCALE
EQUIVALENCE SCALES
ESCAPE POVERTY
EXCHANGE RATES
EXPENDITURE FUNCTION
FOOD BUNDLE
FOOD BUNDLES
FOOD DEMAND FUNCTION
FOOD ENERGY
FOOD ENERGY INTAKE
FOOD GOODS
FOOD ITEMS
FOOD NEEDS
FOOD POVERTY
FOOD POVERTY LINE
FOOD PRICES
FOOD SHARE
FOOD SPENDING
FOOD-ENERGY INTAKE
FOOD-ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
GLOBAL MARKETS
GLOBAL POVERTY
HEADCOUNT INDEX
HIGH ELASTICITY
HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT
INCIDENCE OF POVERTY
INCOME
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME ELASTICITY
INCOME LEVEL
INCOME POVERTY
INCOMES INCREASE
INEQUALITY
INTER-REGIONAL MIGRATION
LIVING INDEX
LIVING STANDARDS
LIVING STANDARDS MEASUREMENT
MEAN CONDITIONAL
MEAN INCOME
MEASURED INCREASE
MEASURED POVERTY
MEASUREMENT OF POVERTY
MEASURING POVERTY
MEAT
MICRO DATA
MILK
MONITORING POVERTY
NATIONAL POVERTY
NATIONAL POVERTY LINE
NATIONAL POVERTY LINES
NON-FOOD COMPONENT
NON-FOOD GOODS
NON-FOOD ITEMS
NON-FOOD NEEDS
NON-FOOD PRICES
NON-NUTRITIONAL FUNCTIONINGS
NONFOOD COMPONENT
NUTRITION
NUTRITIONAL INTAKE
NUTRITIONAL NORMS
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
NUTRITIONAL STATUS
OBJECTIVE POVERTY LINES
OFFICIAL POVERTY
OFFICIAL POVERTY LINE
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
POLICY ANALYSIS
POLICY RESEARCH
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POOR
POOR COUNTRIES
POOR PEOPLE
POVERTY ACROSS COUNTRIES
POVERTY ANALYSIS
POVERTY ASSESSMENTS
POVERTY BUNDLE
POVERTY BUNDLES
POVERTY COMPARISONS
POVERTY DYNAMICS
POVERTY INCIDENCE
POVERTY LEVEL
POVERTY LINE
POVERTY LINES
POVERTY MEASURE
POVERTY MEASUREMENT
POVERTY MEASURES
POVERTY PROFILE
POVERTY PROFILES
POVERTY RATE
POVERTY RATES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRICE CHANGES
PRICE VECTOR
PRICES INCREASE
PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION
PURCHASING POWER
QUALITATIVE DATA
RANDOM VARIABLE
REAL TERMS
REDUCING POVERTY
REGIONAL POVERTY
RELATIVE INCOME
RELATIVE POSITION
RELATIVE PRICES
RESULTING POVERTY LINES
RICH COUNTRIES
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
RURAL LINE
SETTING POVERTY
SETTING POVERTY LINES
SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL WELFARE
SUBJECTIVE POVERTY
SUBJECTIVE POVERTY LINE
TARGETING
TOTAL POVERTY
TOTAL POVERTY LINE
TRUE COST-OF-LIVING INDICES
UNEMPLOYMENT
URBAN AREAS
URBAN HOUSEHOLDS
URBAN POVERTY
URBAN POVERTY LINE
URBAN SECTOR
UTILITY CONSISTENCY
UTILITY FUNCTION
UTILITY INCONSISTENCIES
UTILITY LEVEL
UTILITY-CONSISTENT POVERTY
VEGETABLES
WELFARE COMPARISONS
WELFARE FUNCTION
WELFARE INDICATOR
WELFARE LEVELS
WELFARE METRIC
spellingShingle ABSOLUTE POVERTY
ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINE
ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINES
AGGREGATE INCOME
AGGREGATE POVERTY
AGREED METRIC
ASSESSING WELFARE
BASIC CONSUMPTION
BASIC CONSUMPTION NEEDS
BASIC NEEDS
BASIC NEEDS METHOD
CALORIC REQUIREMENTS
CASE STUDY
COMMODITY BUNDLE
COMMON UTILITY FUNCTION
COMPARABLE UTILITY FUNCTION
COMPARING POVERTY
CONSISTENT POVERTY LINES
CONSUMER DEMAND
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
CONSUMPTION BUNDLE
CONSUMPTION DATA
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE
CONSUMPTION NEEDS
CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA
DEFINITIONS OF POVERTY
DEMAND BEHAVIOR
DEMAND FUNCTIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION
DERIVED UTILITY FUNCTION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRY
DEVELOPING WORLD
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
ECONOMIC CONTRACTION
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC LITERATURE
ECONOMIC MODELS
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC REVIEW
ECONOMIC SURVEYS
ECONOMIC THEORY
ECONOMICS
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIP
EMPIRICAL STUDIES
EMPIRICAL WORK
EQUIVALENCE SCALE
EQUIVALENCE SCALES
ESCAPE POVERTY
EXCHANGE RATES
EXPENDITURE FUNCTION
FOOD BUNDLE
FOOD BUNDLES
FOOD DEMAND FUNCTION
FOOD ENERGY
FOOD ENERGY INTAKE
FOOD GOODS
FOOD ITEMS
FOOD NEEDS
FOOD POVERTY
FOOD POVERTY LINE
FOOD PRICES
FOOD SHARE
FOOD SPENDING
FOOD-ENERGY INTAKE
FOOD-ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
GLOBAL MARKETS
GLOBAL POVERTY
HEADCOUNT INDEX
HIGH ELASTICITY
HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT
INCIDENCE OF POVERTY
INCOME
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME ELASTICITY
INCOME LEVEL
INCOME POVERTY
INCOMES INCREASE
INEQUALITY
INTER-REGIONAL MIGRATION
LIVING INDEX
LIVING STANDARDS
LIVING STANDARDS MEASUREMENT
MEAN CONDITIONAL
MEAN INCOME
MEASURED INCREASE
MEASURED POVERTY
MEASUREMENT OF POVERTY
MEASURING POVERTY
MEAT
MICRO DATA
MILK
MONITORING POVERTY
NATIONAL POVERTY
NATIONAL POVERTY LINE
NATIONAL POVERTY LINES
NON-FOOD COMPONENT
NON-FOOD GOODS
NON-FOOD ITEMS
NON-FOOD NEEDS
NON-FOOD PRICES
NON-NUTRITIONAL FUNCTIONINGS
NONFOOD COMPONENT
NUTRITION
NUTRITIONAL INTAKE
NUTRITIONAL NORMS
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
NUTRITIONAL STATUS
OBJECTIVE POVERTY LINES
OFFICIAL POVERTY
OFFICIAL POVERTY LINE
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
POLICY ANALYSIS
POLICY RESEARCH
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POOR
POOR COUNTRIES
POOR PEOPLE
POVERTY ACROSS COUNTRIES
POVERTY ANALYSIS
POVERTY ASSESSMENTS
POVERTY BUNDLE
POVERTY BUNDLES
POVERTY COMPARISONS
POVERTY DYNAMICS
POVERTY INCIDENCE
POVERTY LEVEL
POVERTY LINE
POVERTY LINES
POVERTY MEASURE
POVERTY MEASUREMENT
POVERTY MEASURES
POVERTY PROFILE
POVERTY PROFILES
POVERTY RATE
POVERTY RATES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRICE CHANGES
PRICE VECTOR
PRICES INCREASE
PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION
PURCHASING POWER
QUALITATIVE DATA
RANDOM VARIABLE
REAL TERMS
REDUCING POVERTY
REGIONAL POVERTY
RELATIVE INCOME
RELATIVE POSITION
RELATIVE PRICES
RESULTING POVERTY LINES
RICH COUNTRIES
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
RURAL LINE
SETTING POVERTY
SETTING POVERTY LINES
SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL WELFARE
SUBJECTIVE POVERTY
SUBJECTIVE POVERTY LINE
TARGETING
TOTAL POVERTY
TOTAL POVERTY LINE
TRUE COST-OF-LIVING INDICES
UNEMPLOYMENT
URBAN AREAS
URBAN HOUSEHOLDS
URBAN POVERTY
URBAN POVERTY LINE
URBAN SECTOR
UTILITY CONSISTENCY
UTILITY FUNCTION
UTILITY INCONSISTENCIES
UTILITY LEVEL
UTILITY-CONSISTENT POVERTY
VEGETABLES
WELFARE COMPARISONS
WELFARE FUNCTION
WELFARE INDICATOR
WELFARE LEVELS
WELFARE METRIC
Ravallion, Martin
Poverty Lines across the World
geographic_facet The World Region
The World Region
relation Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5284
description National poverty lines vary greatly across the world, from under $1 per person per day to over $40 (at 2005 purchasing power parity). What accounts for these huge differences, and can they be understood within a common global definition of poverty? For all except the poorest countries, the absolute, nutrition-based, poverty lines found in practice tend to behave more like relative lines, in that they are higher for richer countries. Prevailing methods of setting absolute lines allow ample scope for such relativity, even when nutritional norms are common across countries. Both macro data on poverty lines across the world and micro data on subjective perceptions of poverty are consistent with a weak form of relativity that combines absolute consumption needs with social-inclusion needs that are positive for the poorest but rise with a country s mean consumption. The strong form of relativism favored by some developed countries -- whereby the line is set at a fixed proportion of the mean -- emerges as the limiting case for very rich countries.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Ravallion, Martin
author_facet Ravallion, Martin
author_sort Ravallion, Martin
title Poverty Lines across the World
title_short Poverty Lines across the World
title_full Poverty Lines across the World
title_fullStr Poverty Lines across the World
title_full_unstemmed Poverty Lines across the World
title_sort poverty lines across the world
publishDate 2012
url http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100427143536
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3771
_version_ 1764388249602621440
spelling okr-10986-37712021-04-23T14:02:12Z Poverty Lines across the World Ravallion, Martin ABSOLUTE POVERTY ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINE ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINES AGGREGATE INCOME AGGREGATE POVERTY AGREED METRIC ASSESSING WELFARE BASIC CONSUMPTION BASIC CONSUMPTION NEEDS BASIC NEEDS BASIC NEEDS METHOD CALORIC REQUIREMENTS CASE STUDY COMMODITY BUNDLE COMMON UTILITY FUNCTION COMPARABLE UTILITY FUNCTION COMPARING POVERTY CONSISTENT POVERTY LINES CONSUMER DEMAND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX CONSUMPTION BUNDLE CONSUMPTION DATA CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE CONSUMPTION NEEDS CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA DEFINITIONS OF POVERTY DEMAND BEHAVIOR DEMAND FUNCTIONS DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION DERIVED UTILITY FUNCTION DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRY DEVELOPING WORLD DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DEVELOPMENT ISSUES DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ECONOMIC CONTRACTION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC LITERATURE ECONOMIC MODELS ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC REVIEW ECONOMIC SURVEYS ECONOMIC THEORY ECONOMICS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIP EMPIRICAL STUDIES EMPIRICAL WORK EQUIVALENCE SCALE EQUIVALENCE SCALES ESCAPE POVERTY EXCHANGE RATES EXPENDITURE FUNCTION FOOD BUNDLE FOOD BUNDLES FOOD DEMAND FUNCTION FOOD ENERGY FOOD ENERGY INTAKE FOOD GOODS FOOD ITEMS FOOD NEEDS FOOD POVERTY FOOD POVERTY LINE FOOD PRICES FOOD SHARE FOOD SPENDING FOOD-ENERGY INTAKE FOOD-ENERGY REQUIREMENTS GEOGRAPHIC AREAS GLOBAL MARKETS GLOBAL POVERTY HEADCOUNT INDEX HIGH ELASTICITY HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT INCIDENCE OF POVERTY INCOME INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME ELASTICITY INCOME LEVEL INCOME POVERTY INCOMES INCREASE INEQUALITY INTER-REGIONAL MIGRATION LIVING INDEX LIVING STANDARDS LIVING STANDARDS MEASUREMENT MEAN CONDITIONAL MEAN INCOME MEASURED INCREASE MEASURED POVERTY MEASUREMENT OF POVERTY MEASURING POVERTY MEAT MICRO DATA MILK MONITORING POVERTY NATIONAL POVERTY NATIONAL POVERTY LINE NATIONAL POVERTY LINES NON-FOOD COMPONENT NON-FOOD GOODS NON-FOOD ITEMS NON-FOOD NEEDS NON-FOOD PRICES NON-NUTRITIONAL FUNCTIONINGS NONFOOD COMPONENT NUTRITION NUTRITIONAL INTAKE NUTRITIONAL NORMS NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS NUTRITIONAL STATUS OBJECTIVE POVERTY LINES OFFICIAL POVERTY OFFICIAL POVERTY LINE PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION POLICY ANALYSIS POLICY RESEARCH POLITICAL ECONOMY POOR POOR COUNTRIES POOR PEOPLE POVERTY ACROSS COUNTRIES POVERTY ANALYSIS POVERTY ASSESSMENTS POVERTY BUNDLE POVERTY BUNDLES POVERTY COMPARISONS POVERTY DYNAMICS POVERTY INCIDENCE POVERTY LEVEL POVERTY LINE POVERTY LINES POVERTY MEASURE POVERTY MEASUREMENT POVERTY MEASURES POVERTY PROFILE POVERTY PROFILES POVERTY RATE POVERTY RATES POVERTY REDUCTION PRICE CHANGES PRICE VECTOR PRICES INCREASE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION PURCHASING POWER QUALITATIVE DATA RANDOM VARIABLE REAL TERMS REDUCING POVERTY REGIONAL POVERTY RELATIVE INCOME RELATIVE POSITION RELATIVE PRICES RESULTING POVERTY LINES RICH COUNTRIES RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL LINE SETTING POVERTY SETTING POVERTY LINES SOCIAL SECURITY SOCIAL WELFARE SUBJECTIVE POVERTY SUBJECTIVE POVERTY LINE TARGETING TOTAL POVERTY TOTAL POVERTY LINE TRUE COST-OF-LIVING INDICES UNEMPLOYMENT URBAN AREAS URBAN HOUSEHOLDS URBAN POVERTY URBAN POVERTY LINE URBAN SECTOR UTILITY CONSISTENCY UTILITY FUNCTION UTILITY INCONSISTENCIES UTILITY LEVEL UTILITY-CONSISTENT POVERTY VEGETABLES WELFARE COMPARISONS WELFARE FUNCTION WELFARE INDICATOR WELFARE LEVELS WELFARE METRIC National poverty lines vary greatly across the world, from under $1 per person per day to over $40 (at 2005 purchasing power parity). What accounts for these huge differences, and can they be understood within a common global definition of poverty? For all except the poorest countries, the absolute, nutrition-based, poverty lines found in practice tend to behave more like relative lines, in that they are higher for richer countries. Prevailing methods of setting absolute lines allow ample scope for such relativity, even when nutritional norms are common across countries. Both macro data on poverty lines across the world and micro data on subjective perceptions of poverty are consistent with a weak form of relativity that combines absolute consumption needs with social-inclusion needs that are positive for the poorest but rise with a country s mean consumption. The strong form of relativism favored by some developed countries -- whereby the line is set at a fixed proportion of the mean -- emerges as the limiting case for very rich countries. 2012-03-19T18:39:31Z 2012-03-19T18:39:31Z 2010-04-01 http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100427143536 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3771 English Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5284 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper The World Region The World Region