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Relative price shifts, economies of scale and poverty during economic transition

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  • Jean O. Lanjouw
  • Peter Lanjouw
  • Branko Milanovic
  • Stefano Paternostro

Abstract

Economic transition is associated with significant shifts in relative prices between private and public goods. If, as a result, public goods claim a larger share of total expenditures, economies of scale in consumption increase. We show how relative price changes might alter the welfare of different‐sized households in the short run and over time. We illustrate, for a selection of transition economies, that conventional poverty profiles are quite sensitive to assumptions made about economies of scale in consumption. In particular, the common view that large households with many children are poor relative to small households (such as those comprising the elderly) is shown to be highly non‐robust.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean O. Lanjouw & Peter Lanjouw & Branko Milanovic & Stefano Paternostro, 2004. "Relative price shifts, economies of scale and poverty during economic transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 12(3), pages 509-536, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:etrans:v:12:y:2004:i:3:p:509-536
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0967-0750.2004.00191.x
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    1. Lanjouw, Peter & Milanovic, Branko & Paternostro, Stefano, 1998. "Poverty and the economic transition : how do changes in economies of scale affect poverty rates for different households?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2009, The World Bank.
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    4. Jean Olson Lanjouw & Peter Lanjouw, 2001. "How to Compare Apples And Oranges: Poverty Measurement Based on Different Definitions of Consumption," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 47(1), pages 25-42, March.
    5. Angus Deaton & Christina Paxson, 1998. "Economies of Scale, Household Size, and the Demand for Food," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(5), pages 897-930, October.
    6. Klugman, Jeni & Braithwaite, Jeanine, 1998. "Poverty in Russia during the Transition: An Overview," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 13(1), pages 37-58, February.
    7. Dreze, Jean & Srinivasan, P. V., 1997. "Widowhood and poverty in rural India: Some inferences from household survey data," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 217-234, December.
    8. Giovanni Andrea Cornia, 1995. "Ugly Facts and Fancy Theories: Children and youth during the transition," Papers iopeps95/19, Innocenti Occasional Papers, Economic Policy Series.
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    Cited by:

    1. Branko Milanovic, 2005. "Global Income Inequality: What It Is And Why It Matters?," HEW 0512001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Brooks Evans & Robert Palacios, 2015. "Who is Poorer?," World Bank Publications - Reports 24992, The World Bank Group.
    3. Abanokova, Kseniya & Dang, Hai-Anh & Lokshin, Michael, 2020. "The Important Role of Equivalence Scales: Household Size, Composition, and Poverty Dynamics in Russia," IZA Discussion Papers 13043, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Kseniya Abanokova & Hai-Anh H. Dang & Michael M. Lokshin, 2020. "The Important Role of Equivalence Scales: Household Size, Composition, and Poverty Dynamics in the Russian Federation," Working Papers 539, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    5. Gero Carletto & Alberto Zezza, 2006. "Being poor, feeling poorer: Combining objective and subjective measures of welfare in Albania," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(5), pages 739-760.
    6. Hai-Anh H. Dang & F. Halsey Rogers, 2016. "The Decision to Invest in Child Quality over Quantity: Household Size and Household Investment in Education in Vietnam," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 30(1), pages 104-142.
    7. Kseniya Abanokova & Hai-Anh H. Dang, 2023. "Poverty in Russia: a bird’s-eye view of trends and dynamics in the past quarter of a century," Chapters, in: Jacques Silber (ed.), Research Handbook on Measuring Poverty and Deprivation, chapter 58, pages 627-635, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Deon Filmer & Kinnon Scott, 2012. "Assessing Asset Indices," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(1), pages 359-392, February.
    9. Anita Alves Pena, 2012. "Economies of scale and gender discrimination in transition: the case of the Republic of Tajikistan," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(18), pages 2265-2281, June.
    10. Zsoka Koczan, 2022. "Perceptions of economic well‐being in the Western Balkans," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 845-867, October.
    11. Garcia-Diaz Rocio, 2012. "Demand-Based Cost-of-Children Estimates and Child Poverty," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-32, January.
    12. Brück, Tilman & Danzer, Alexander M. & Muravyev, Alexander & Weisshaar, Natalia, 2010. "Poverty during transition: Household survey evidence from Ukraine," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 123-145, June.
    13. Leonardo Menchini & Gerry Redmond, 2006. "Child Consumption Poverty in South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States," Papers inwopa06/36, Innocenti Working Papers.
    14. repec:pru:wpaper:40 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Tilman Brück & Alexander M. Danzer & Alexander Muravyev & Natalia Weißhaar, 2007. "Determinants of Poverty during Transition: Household Survey Evidence from Ukraine," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 748, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    16. Zsoka Koczan, 2016. "Being Poor, Feeling Poorer: Inequality, Poverty and Poverty Perceptions in the Western Balkans," IMF Working Papers 2016/031, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Jean-Jacques Dethier & Pierre Pestieau & Rabia Ali, 2011. "The impact of a minimum pension on old age poverty and its budgetary cost. Evidence from Latin America," Revista de Economía del Rosario, Universidad del Rosario, November.
    18. Ling Li & Qiulin Chen & Yu Jiang, 2011. "The changing patterns of China's public services," Chapters, in: Ronald Lee & Andrew Mason (ed.), Population Aging and the Generational Economy, chapter 22, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Vandeninden, Frieda, 2012. "A Simulation of Social Pensions in Europe," MERIT Working Papers 2012-008, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    20. Xin Meng & Xiaodong Gong & Youjuan Wang, 2009. "Impact of Income Growth and Economic Reform on Nutrition Availability in Urban China: 1986-2000," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 57(2), pages 261-295, January.

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