IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/lis/lwswps/10.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Asset-Based Measurement of Poverty

Author

Listed:
  • Silvia Magri
  • Timothy Smeeding
  • Andrea Brandolini

Abstract

Poverty is generally defined as income or expenditure insufficiency, but the economic condition of a household also depends on its real and financial asset holdings. This paper investigates measures of poverty that rely on indicators of household net worth. We review and assess two main approaches followed in the literature: income-net worth measures and assetpoverty. We provide fresh cross-national evidence based on data from the Luxembourg Wealth Study.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Magri & Timothy Smeeding & Andrea Brandolini, 2010. "Asset-Based Measurement of Poverty," LWS Working papers 10, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
  • Handle: RePEc:lis:lwswps:10
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.lisdatacenter.org/wps/lwswps/10.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cristina Barceló & Ernesto Villanueva, 2010. "The response of household wealth to the risk of losing the job: evidence from differences in firing costs," Working Papers 1002, Banco de España.
    2. Michael S. Rendall & Alden Speare, 1993. "Comparing Economic Well‐Being Among Elderly Americans," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 39(1), pages 1-21, March.
    3. Maria Chiuri & Tullio Jappelli, 2010. "Do the elderly reduce housing equity? An international comparison," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 23(2), pages 643-663, March.
    4. Hisham S. El‐Osta & Ashok K. Mishra & Mitchell J. Morehart, 2007. "Determinants of economic well‐being among U.S. farm operator households," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 36(3), pages 291-304, May.
    5. Janet C. Gornick & Eva Sierminska & Timothy M. Smeeding, 2009. "The Income and Wealth Packages of Older Women in Cross-National Perspective," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 64(3), pages 402-414.
    6. François Bourguignon & Satya R. Chakravarty, 2019. "The Measurement of Multidimensional Poverty," Themes in Economics, in: Satya R. Chakravarty (ed.), Poverty, Social Exclusion and Stochastic Dominance, pages 83-107, Springer.
    7. Christopher D. Carroll & Karen E. Dynan & Spencer D. Krane, 2003. "Unemployment Risk and Precautionary Wealth: Evidence from Households' Balance Sheets," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 85(3), pages 586-604, August.
    8. Andrea Brandolini & Silvia Magri & Timothy M. Smeeding, 2010. "Asset-based measurement of poverty," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 267-284.
    9. The Eurosystem Household Finance and Consumption Network, 2009. "Survey data on household finance and consumption - research summary and policy use," Occasional Paper Series 100, European Central Bank.
    10. Cynthia Bansak & Steven Raphael, 2007. "The effects of state policy design features on take-up and crowd-out rates for the state children's health insurance program," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 149-175.
    11. Morduch, Jonathan, 1994. "Poverty and Vulnerability," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(2), pages 221-225, May.
    12. Joachim R. Frick & Markus M. Grabka, 2003. "Imputed Rent and Income Inequality: A Decomposition Analysis for Great Britain, West Germany and the U.S," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 49(4), pages 513-537, December.
    13. Bruce Bradbury & Judith Yates, 2009. "Home ownership as a (crumbling) fourth pillar of social insurance in Australia," LWS Working papers 8, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    14. Michael Carter & Christopher Barrett, 2006. "The economics of poverty traps and persistent poverty: An asset-based approach," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(2), pages 178-199.
    15. Kennickell, Arthur & Lusardi, Annamaria, 2005. "Disentangling the importance of the precautionary saving motive," CFS Working Paper Series 2006/15, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    16. Oded Galor & Joseph Zeira, 1993. "Income Distribution and Macroeconomics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(1), pages 35-52.
    17. James X. Sullivan & Lesley Turner & Sheldon Danziger, 2008. "The relationship between income and material hardship," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 63-81.
    18. James N. Morgan, 1993. "Equity considerations and means-tested benefits," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(4), pages 773-778.
    19. repec:bla:revinw:v:36:y:1990:i:3:p:227-47 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Jonathan D. Fisher & David S. Johnson & Joseph T. Marchand & Timothy M. Smeeding & Barbara Boyle Torrey, 2007. "No Place Like Home: Older Adults and Their Housing," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(2), pages 120-128.
    21. Timothy Smeeding, 2006. "Poor People in Rich Nations: The United States in Comparative Perspective," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(1), pages 69-90, Winter.
    22. Kathleen Short & Patricia Ruggles, 2005. "Experimental Measures of Poverty and Net Worth: 1996," Journal of Income Distribution, Ad libros publications inc., vol. 13(3-4), pages 1-1, November.
    23. repec:bla:revinw:v:22:y:1976:i:3:p:253-69 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Rendall, Michael S & Speare, Alden, Jr, 1995. "Elderly Poverty Alleviation through Living with Family," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 8(4), pages 383-405, November.
    25. Burkhauser, Richard V & Wilkinson, James T, 1983. "The Effect of Retirement on Income Distribution: A Comprehensive Income Approach," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 65(4), pages 653-658, November.
    26. Alkire, Sabina, 2005. "Valuing Freedoms: Sen's Capability Approach and Poverty Reduction," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199283316.
    27. Robert Haveman & Edward Wolff, 2005. "The concept and measurement of asset poverty: Levels, trends and composition for the U.S., 1983–2001," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 2(2), pages 145-169, January.
    28. Eva Sierminska & Andrea Brandolini & Timothy M Smeeding, 2007. "Comparing wealth distribution across rich countries: the Luxembourg Wealth Study project," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Proceedings of the IFC Conference on "Measuring the financial position of the household sector", Basel, 30-31 August 2006 - Volume 1, volume 25, pages 297-310, Bank for International Settlements.
    29. Brian Nolan & Christopher T. Whelan, 2010. "Using non-monetary deprivation indicators to analyze poverty and social exclusion: Lessons from Europe?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 305-325.
    30. Thomas A. Carlin & Edward I. Reinsel, 1973. "Combining Income and Wealth: An Analysis of Farm Family "Well-Being"," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 55(1), pages 38-44.
    31. A. Atkinson, 2003. "Multidimensional Deprivation: Contrasting Social Welfare and Counting Approaches," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 1(1), pages 51-65, April.
    32. Edward N. Wolff & Ajit Zacharias, 2007. "The Levy Institute Measure of Economic Well-Being United States, 1989-2001," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 443-470, Fall.
    33. Marilyn L. Moon, 1976. "The Economic Welfare Of The Aged And Income Security Programs," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 22(3), pages 253-269, September.
    34. Rebecca M. Blank, 2008. "Presidential address: How to improve poverty measurement in the United States," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 233-254.
    35. Thomas M. Fraker & Alberto P. Martini & James C. Ohls & Michael Ponza, 1995. "The effects of cashing-out food stomps on household food use and the cost of issuing benefits," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(3), pages 372-392.
    36. Ian J. Irvine, 1980. "The Distribution of Income and Wealth in Canada in a Lifecycle Framework," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 13(3), pages 455-474, August.
    37. Richard V. Burkhauser & J. S. Butler & James T. Wilkinson, 1985. "Estimating Changes in Well-Being Across Life: A Realized vs. Comprehensive Income Approach," NBER Chapters, in: Horizontal Equity, Uncertainty, and Economic Well-Being, pages 69-90, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    38. Jonathan D. Fisher & David S. Johnson & Joseph T. Marchand & Timothy M. Smeeding & Barbara B. Torrey, 2009. "Identifying the Poorest Older Americans," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 64(6), pages 758-766.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marchand, J. & Smeeding, T., 2016. "Poverty and Aging," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 905-950, Elsevier.
      • Marchand, Joseph & Smeeding, Timothy, 2016. "Poverty and Aging," Working Papers 2016-11, University of Alberta, Department of Economics, revised 20 Nov 2016.
    2. Lih-Shing Chan & Kee-Lee Chou, 2018. "A Survey of Asset Poverty Among Older Adults of Hong Kong," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 138(2), pages 605-622, July.
    3. Andrea Brandolini, 2013. "Poverty," Chapters, in: Luigino Bruni & Stefano Zamagni (ed.), Handbook on the Economics of Reciprocity and Social Enterprise, chapter 26, pages 261-270, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Martina Menon & Federico Perali & Eva Sierminska, 2016. "An asset-based indicator of wellbeing for a unified means testing tool: Money metric or counting approach?," Working Papers 421, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    5. Martina Menon & Federico Perali & Eva Sierminska, 2017. "An Efficiency Comparison of Means Testing Tools: Money Metric or Counting Approach?," CHILD Working Papers Series 57 JEL Classification: D1, Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic Economics (CHILD) - CCA.
    6. Sung-Geun Kim, 2016. "What Have We Called as “Poverty”? A Multidimensional and Longitudinal Perspective," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 229-276, October.
    7. Netta Achdut & Lea Achdut, 2022. "Joint Income-Wealth Poverty in a Cross-National Perspective: The Role of Country-Level Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 499-541, November.
    8. Müller, Philip & Schmidt, Tobias, 2015. "Identifying income and wealth-poor households in the euro area," Discussion Papers 35/2015, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    9. Elena Dalla Chiara & Federico Perali, 2022. "Relational Well-being and the Many Dimensions of Poverty in Italy," Working Papers 6, SITES.
    10. Rolf Aaberge & Andrea Brandolini, 2014. "Multidimensional poverty and inequality," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 976, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    11. Timothy Smeeding & Eva Sierminska & Andrea Brandolini, 2006. "Cross National Comparison of Income and Wealth Status in Retirement: First Results from the Luxembourg Wealth Study (LWS)," LWS Working papers 2, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    12. Salvatore Morelli & Timothy Smeeding & Jeffrey Thompson, 2014. "Post-1970 Trends in Within-Country Inequality and Poverty: Rich and Middle Income Countries," CSEF Working Papers 356, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    13. Frank A. Cowell & Philippe Kerm, 2015. "Wealth Inequality: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 671-710, September.
    14. Geranda Notten, 2013. "Measuring performance: does the assessment depend on the poverty proxy?," ImPRovE Working Papers 13/13, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    15. Sarah Kuypers & Ive Marx, 2018. "Estimation of Joint Income-Wealth Poverty: A Sensitivity Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 117-137, February.
    16. Sabina Alkire & Mauricio Apablaza & Satya R. Chakravarty & Gaston Yalonetzky, 2014. "Measuring Chronic Multidimensional Poverty: A Counting Approach," OPHI Working Papers 75, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    17. Laura Bartiloro & Cristiana Rampazzi, 2013. "Italian households� saving and wealth during the crisis," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 148, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    18. Declan French & Donal McKillop & Tripti Sharma, 2017. "Analysis of Housing Equity Withdrawal by its Forms," CHaRMS Working Papers 17-04, Centre for HeAlth Research at the Management School (CHaRMS).
    19. Frick, Joachim R. & Grabka, Markus M. & Smeeding, Timothy M. & Tsakloglou, Panos, 2010. "Distributional Effects of Imputed Rents in Five European Countries," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 19(3), pages 167-179.
    20. Ive Marx & Brian Nolan & Javier Olivera, 2014. "The Welfare State and Anti-Poverty Policy in Rich Countries," Working Papers 1403, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    poverty; vulnerability; income; net worth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:lis:lwswps:10. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Piotr Paradowski (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lisprlu.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.