Defining poverty is a complex and multidimensional task, as it involves various factors including income, access to basic services, education, healthcare, and living standards. Between 2018 and 2020, researchers and organizations continued to refine and develop their methods for measuring and understanding poverty. Here's an overview of some key aspects and approaches:
1. **Monetary Measures**:
- **Absolute Poverty**: The World Bank has commonly used an international poverty line set at $1.90 per day (PPP - Purchasing Power Parity) to measure extreme poverty. They also use higher thresholds (e.g., $3.20 and $5.50 per day) to capture poverty in middle- and high-income countries.
- **Relative Poverty**: Researchers also consider individuals or households in poverty if their income is significantly lower than the median income of their society, often set at 50% or 60% of the median household income.
2. **Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)**:
- Developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the MPI assesses poverty through various indicators including health (e.g., nutrition, child mortality), education (e.g., years of schooling, school attendance), and living standards (e.g., cooking fuel, electricity, sanitation, drinking water, housing, assets).
3. **Social and Economic Exclusion**:
- Researchers examine the degree to which people are able to participate fully in society, considering factors such as access to education, employment opportunities, social services, and political participation.
4. **Subjective Measures**:
- This approach involves asking individuals about their own perception of their financial situation, their ability to meet basic needs, and their overall sense of well-being.
5. **Consumption vs. Income**:
- Some researchers prefer using consumption data instead of income data to measure poverty, arguing that consumption better reflects the living standards and well-being of households.
6. **Geospatial Data and Technology**:
- Advances in technology, including satellite imaging and machine learning, have enabled more precise and localized poverty assessments. These tools can track changes in poverty and provide data for areas that might be difficult to reach with traditional survey methods.
7. **COVID-19 Impact**:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced poverty measurements and definitions. Researchers had to consider the immediate and long-term economic impacts of the pandemic, including unemployment, loss of income, and increased healthcare costs. New measures and data collection methods were developed to account for the sudden changes.
8. **Inclusive Growth and Equity**:
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations, have informed global and national efforts to define and measure poverty, emphasizing not just economic growth but also inclusivity, equity, and sustainability.
Each of these approaches highlights the various dimensions through which poverty can be understood and addressed. By integrating these methods, researchers aim to develop a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of poverty, which is crucial for effective policy-making and intervention.
Researchers defining poverty 2018-2020
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