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Measured as Poor Versus Feeling Poor: Comparing Objective and Subjective Poverty Rates in South Africa

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  • Dorrit Posel
  • Michael Rogan

Abstract

In this paper, we compare subjective and money-metric measures of poverty in South Africa using data collected in the 2008/09 Living Conditions Survey. In addition to collecting detailed information on expenditure, the survey asked respondents to provide an assessment of the economic status of their household, ranging from 'very poor' to 'wealthy'. We find considerable overlap between per capita expenditure measures of poverty status and subjective poverty status among households.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorrit Posel & Michael Rogan, 2014. "Measured as Poor Versus Feeling Poor: Comparing Objective and Subjective Poverty Rates in South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-133, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2014-133
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hanjie Wang & Qiran Zhao & Yunli Bai & Linxiu Zhang & Xiaohua Yu, 2020. "Poverty and Subjective Poverty in Rural China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 219-242, July.
    2. 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.
    3. Megbowon Ebenezer Toyin, 2018. "Multidimensional Poverty Analysis of Urban and Rural Households in South Africa," Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Oeconomica, Sciendo, vol. 63(1), pages 3-19, April.
    4. Marisa Fintel & Asmus Zoch & Servaas Berg, 2017. "The Dynamics of Child Poverty in South Africa Between 2008 and 2012," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(4), pages 945-969, December.
    5. Josh Budlender & Murray Leibbrandt & Ingrid Woolard, 2015. "South African poverty lines: a review and two new money-metric thresholds," SALDRU Working Papers 151, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    6. Zsoka Koczan, 2016. "Being Poor, Feeling Poorer: Inequality, Poverty and Poverty Perceptions in the Western Balkans," IMF Working Papers 2016/031, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Oznur Ozdamar & Eleftherios Giovanis, 2019. "Youth Multidimensional Poverty and Its Dynamics: Evidence From Selected Countries In The Mena Region," Working Papers 1339, Economic Research Forum, revised 21 Aug 2019.

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