On Multidimensional Indices of Poverty

Ravallion, Martin

关键词: ACCESS TO INFRASTRUCTURE;    ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER;    ACCESS TO SERVICES;    AGGREGATE POVERTY;    AVERAGE INCOME;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-5580
RP-ID  :  WPS5580

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

There has been a growing interest inwhat have come to be termed "multidimensional indicesof poverty." Advocates for these new indices correctlypoint out that command over market goods is not all thatmatters to peoples' well-being, and that other factorsneed to be considered when quantifying the extent of povertyand informing policy making for fighting poverty. However,the author argues that there are two poorly understoodissues in assessing these indices. First, does one believethat any single index can ever be a sufficient statistic forpoverty assessments? Second, when aggregation is called for,should it be done in the space of "attainments,"using prices when appropriate, or that of"deprivations," using weights set by the analyst?The paper argues that the goal for future poverty monitoringefforts should be to develop a credible set of multipleindices, spanning the dimensions of poverty most relevant toa specific setting, rather than a single multidimensionalindex. When weights are needed, they shouldn't be setsolely by an analyst measuring poverty. Rather, they shouldbe, as much as possible, consistent with well-informedchoices made by poor people.