New Estimates of Extreme Poverty for Children

Newhouse, David ; Suarez-Becerra, Pablo ; Evans, Martin C.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: poverty;    extreme poverty;    household surveys;    equivalence scales;    poverty line;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7845
RP-ID  :  WPS7845

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper uses household surveys from89 countries to estimate the rate of extreme poverty amongchildren in the developing world. The estimates are based onthe same surveys and welfare measures as official World Bankpoverty estimates. Of children under age 18 years, 19.5percent are estimated to live on less than $1.90 per day, asopposed to 9.2 percent of adults ages 18 and above. Povertyrates are high for children ages 0 to 4 years, slightlyhigher among ages 5 to 9 years, and steadily decline forsuccessively older age groups. The analysis also examinesthe sensitivity of age-based poverty estimates to the use ofalternative household equivalence scales when adjusting theinternational poverty line accordingly. Child poverty ratesremain above 17 percent, and are greater than adult povertyrates, for all reasonable two-parameter equivalence scales.