The mis-measurement of extreme global poverty: A case study in the Pacific Islands.

Christopher Deeming,Bina Gubhaju

doi:10.1177/1440783314523867

Christopher Deeming, Bina Gubhaju

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783314523867

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Abstract

Debate over the measurement of global poverty in low- and middle-income countries continues unabated. There is considerable controversy surrounding the ‘dollar a day’ measure used to monitor progress against the Millennium Development Goals. This article shines fresh light on the debate with new empirical analyses of poverty (including child poverty), inequality and deprivation levels in the Pacific island state of Vanuatu. The study focuses not only on economic and monetary metrics and measures, but also the measures of deprivation derived from sociology in relation to shelter, sanitation, water, information, nutrition, health and education. Until recently, there had been few, if any, attempts to study poverty and deprivation disparities among children in this part of the world. Different measures yield strikingly different estimates of poverty. The article, therefore, attempts to situate the study findings in the broader international context of poverty measurement and discusses their implications for future research and the post-2015 development agenda.

Highlights

Debate over the measurement of global poverty in low- and middle-income countries continues unabated
The study focuses on economic and monetary measures of poverty drawing on family budget survey data, and the sociological measures of deprivation and child poverty developed by Peter Townsend and colleagues in relation to shelter, sanitation, water, information, nutrition, health and education (Gordon et al, 2003)
The article is structured as follows: the section looks at the measurement of global poverty debate and the successes and failures of the original Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with the goal of eradicating ‘extreme poverty’, and some of the controversy that surrounds their replacement post-2015

Summary

Introduction

Debate over the measurement of global poverty in low- and middle-income countries continues unabated. Estimates of child poverty using the Vanuatu-specific BNPL varied according to whether the poverty line is set at the national level, or whether poverty lines were disaggregated by the regional location in which households lived.

Results

Conclusion