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New global estimates of child poverty and their sensitivity to alternative equivalence scales

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  • Newhouse, David
  • Suárez Becerra, Pablo
  • Evans, Martin

Abstract

This paper uses micro-data from household surveys from 89 countries to estimate the rate of extreme poverty among children in the developing world. 19.5% of children are estimated to live on less than $1.90 per day, as opposed to 9.2% of adults. Poverty rates for children remain above 17%, and are greater than adult poverty rates, for all reasonable two-parameter equivalence scales.

Suggested Citation

  • Newhouse, David & Suárez Becerra, Pablo & Evans, Martin, 2017. "New global estimates of child poverty and their sensitivity to alternative equivalence scales," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 125-128.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:157:y:2017:i:c:p:125-128
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2017.06.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Abanokova, Kseniya & Dang, Hai-Anh H & 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).
    2. 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.
    3. Jolliffe, Dean & Baah, Samuel Kofi Tetteh, 2024. "Identifying the poor – Accounting for household economies of scale in global poverty estimates," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    4. Munoz Boudet,Ana Maria & Bhatt,Antra & Azcona,Ginette & Yoo,Jayne Jungsun & Beegle,Kathleen G., 2021. "A Global View of Poverty, Gender, and Household Composition," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9553, The World Bank.
    5. Martin Evans, 2018. "Simulating policy options for universal child allowances in Ghana," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-145, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Martin Evans, 2018. "Simulating policy options for universal child allowances in Ghana," WIDER Working Paper Series 145, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Kseniya Abanokova & Hai‐Anh H. Dang & Michael Lokshin, 2022. "Do Adjustments for Equivalence Scales Affect Poverty Dynamics? Evidence from the Russian Federation during 1994–2017," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(S1), pages 167-192, April.
    8. Yixia Cai & Timothy Smeeding, 2019. "Deep and Extreme Child Poverty in Rich and Poor Nations: Lessons from Atkinson for the Fight Against Child Poverty," LIS Working papers 780, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    9. Christos Koulovatianos & Carsten Schröder, 2023. "Income-dependent equivalence scales and choice theory: implications for poverty measurement," Chapters, in: Jacques Silber (ed.), Research Handbook on Measuring Poverty and Deprivation, chapter 4, pages 39-49, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Bose-Duker,Theophiline & Gaddis,Isis & Kilic,Talip & Lechene,Valérie & Pendakur,Krishna, 2021. "Diamonds in the Rough? : Repurposing Multi-Topic Surveys to Estimate Individual-Level Consumption Poverty," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9661, The World Bank.
    11. Oliver Fiala & Enrique Delamónica & Gerardo Escaroz & Ismael Cid Martinez & José Espinoza-Delgado & Aristide Kielem, 2021. "Children in Monetary Poor Households: Baseline and COVID-19 Impact for 2020 and 2021," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 161-176, July.
    12. Yixia Cai & Timothy Smeeding, 2020. "Deep and Extreme Child Poverty in Rich and Poor Nations: Lessons from Atkinson for the Fight Against Child Poverty," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 6(1), pages 109-128, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Poverty; Children; Scales;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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