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Chinese Poverty: Assessing the Impact of Alternative Assumptions

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Author Info
Sanjay G. Reddy (Department of Economics, Barnard College, Columbia University)
Camelia Minoiu (Department of Economics, Columbia University)

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Abstract

This paper investigates how estimates of the extent and trend of income poverty in China between 1990 and 2001 vary as a result of alternative plausible assumptions concerning key parameters that influence the poverty line and estimated consumption levels. Our methodology focuses on the following sources of variation: alternative purchasing power parity conversion factors, alternative estimates of true per capita private incomes, alternative estimates of the share of income assumed to be consumed by the lower income groups, and alternative consumer price indices. We find that regardless of the assumptions we make within a reasonable range, a remarkable reduction in consumption poverty occurred in China during the 1990s. However, estimates of the extent of Chinese poverty in any year are greatly influenced by the assumptions made. China’s record of reducing aggregate deprivations is encouraging, but must be interpreted with care, especially in view of some recent evidence concerning possible increases in consumption poverty (especially in urban areas) and worsening nutrition.

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Paper provided by EconWPA in its series Microeconomics with number 0509002.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: 07 Sep 2005
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Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpmi:0509002

Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 29
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Web page: http://129.3.20.41

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Related research
Keywords: Poverty; China; consumption distribution; sensitivity analysis;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. John Gibson & Jikun Huang & Scott Rozelle, 2003. "Improving Estimates of Inequality and Poverty from Urban China's Household Income and Expenditure Survey," Review of Income and Wealth, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(1), pages 53-68, 03. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Park, Albert & Wang, Sangui, 2001. "China's poverty statistics," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 384-398. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 2006. "The World Distribution of Income: Falling Poverty and ... Convergence, Period," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 121(2), pages 351-397, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Fang, Cheng & Zhang, Xiaobo & Fan, Shenggen, 2002. "Emergence of urban poverty and inequality in China: evidence from household survey," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 430-443, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 2002. "The World Distribution of Income (estimated from Individual Country Distributions)," NBER Working Papers 8933, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Jinjun Xue & Wei Zhong, 2003. "Unemployment, Poverty and Income Disparity in Urban China," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 383-405, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Chen, Shaohua & Ravallion, Martin, 2004. "How Have the World's Poorest Fared Since the Early 1980s?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3341, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Sanjay G. Reddy & Camelia Minoiu, 2007. "Has World Poverty Really Fallen?," Review of Income and Wealth, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(3), pages 484-502, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Yao, Shujie, 2000. "Economic Development and Poverty Reduction in China over 20 Years of Reforms," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 48(3), pages 447-74, April.
  10. Datt, Gaurav, 1998. "Computational tools for poverty measurement and analysis," FCND discussion papers 50, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  11. Ravallion, Martin & Shaohua Chen, 2001. "Measuring pro-poor growth," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2666, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Lars Osberg & Jiaping Shao & Kuan Xu, 2007. "The Growth of Poor Children in China 1991-2000: Why Food Subsidies May Matter," Department of Economics at Dalhousie University working papers archive wider_nov_18_2007.pdf, Dalhousie, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Dwibedi, Jayanta & Chaudhuri, Sarbajit, 2007. "Globalization, consumerism and child labour," MPRA Paper 4370, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  3. Jean-Louis Warnholz (QEH), . "Poverty Reduction for Profit? A Critical Examination of Business Opportunities at the Bottom of the Pyramid," QEH Working Papers qehwps160, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. [Downloadable!]
  4. Jean-Pierre Lachaud, 2005. "A la recherche de l’insaisissable dynamique de pauvreté au Burkina Faso. Une nouvelle évidence empirique," Documents de travail 117, Groupe d'Economie du Développement de l'Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV. [Downloadable!]
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