The current cost of living is pushing more people into poverty, with almost 68% of low income...
Poverty measurement
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11/01/2014
Multi-dimensional poverty – ‘key role’ of weighting
The importance of the weighting schemes used when compiling multi-dimensional poverty assessments has been highlighted in a research paper. The paper, written by a team in the Netherlands, points out that different weightings can result in different prescriptions for anti-poverty policies, where effectiveness is assessed by looking at the reduction in the numbers of those counted as being in poverty.
The paper uses data from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to evaluate how alternative weighting structures affect the measurement of poverty for the population of over-50s in ten European countries. It considers the three dimensions of income and wealth, housing conditions and health condition (including mental health).
Category: Reports -
10/01/2014
Inequality and multi-dimensional poverty
The way in which poverty is assessed needs to take into account inequality among those counted as multi-dimensionally poor, according to a new paper from researchers at the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative.
The authors provide two illustrations, using Demographic Health Survey datasets, to demonstrate how an inequality measure adds important information to the 'adjusted headcount ratio' poverty measure.
Category: Reports -
05/12/2013
Call for new indicator on global poverty
A call has been made for a new headline indicator designed to measure progress towards eradicating global poverty in its many dimensions.
The case for the new indicator is made in the latest Development Co-operation Report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, in a chapter written by Sabina Alkire (Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative - OPHI).
Category: Reports -
02/12/2013
Call to improve global ‘poverty line’ measure
The poverty line measure used by the World Bank has many unsatisfactory features, according to a discussion paper from an Oxford economist.
The paper compares historical poverty baskets with modern food security and poverty lines, arguing that the latter could be improved by emulating the historical methods.
Category: Reports -
26/11/2013
Attitudes to 'necessities of life' in Scotland
Do views in Scotland on the necessities differ from those in the rest of the UK? Is reasonable to have a single poverty standard for the whole of the UK or should Scotland have a separate standard. In this this research analysis working paper, Maria Gannon and Nick Bailey examine the PSE UK findings.
Category: Result analysis -
13/11/2013
Disabled people and their relationship with poverty
This working paper explores the existing UK literature about disabled people’s relationship with poverty. It begins with an overview of methodological complexities in relation to measuring ‘disability’ and measuring poverty in relation to disabled people. Disabled people are currently affected by the wide-ranging reforms to disability-related benefits introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and taking effect from April 2013 and the paper concludes with a review of recent initiatives and their anticipated impact on disabled peoples’ lives.Category: Methods development -
22/10/2013
On Measuring Child Poverty
At their annual conference in September, the Royal Statistical Society organised a session on the government’s consultation on child poverty. With the next announcement on consultation now expected before Christmas, Paul Allin and John Veit-Wilson summarise the presentations and discussion.
Category: Articles -
09/10/2013
Attitudes to necessities in the PSE 2012 survey: are minimum standards becoming less generous
This PSE UK analysis working paper asks whether minimum standards have become less generous than in the past and if so why. It examines which items and activities in the 2012 PSE attitudes to necessities survey are considered by a majority of people to be necessary for an acceptable standard of living in the UK todayCategory: Result analysis -
07/10/2013
Harmonised UK Omnibus 2012
This statistical briefing sets out the harmonisation that was carried out to ensure that there was comparability between NatCen and NISRA Omnibus surveys in the following areas: necessities; household membership and composition; socio-demographic variables; additional variables from Omnibus surveys in GB and NI; and sample and population weightings.Category: Statistical note -
02/10/2013
100 questions about poverty
Progress in reducing or preventing poverty in the UK could be helped by the answers to 100 important research questions, according to a new report. The questions have been identified by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge, based on an exercise involving 45 participants from government, non-governmental organisations, academia and research. They cover a range of themes, and indicate areas of particular research interest.
Category: Reports
