Comments on: New poverty numbers http://www.owen.org/blog/61 Thoughts from Owen in Africa Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:02:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: terence http://www.owen.org/blog/61/comment-page-1#comment-422 terence Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:23:28 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/?p=61#comment-422 I haven't read the paper yet but two quick points: 1. I would love to see the rationale for lowering the $1 line. Rather than two high the original line was if anything too low when compared to any needs based poverty line. 2. That dollar a day line is really (to use Lant Prichet's term) a 'destitution' line. Move over it and you are still most definitely in poverty. The $2 a day line is probably a better line on which to pint he term 'extreme poverty'. I haven’t read the paper yet but two quick points:
1. I would love to see the rationale for lowering the $1 line. Rather than two high the original line was if anything too low when compared to any needs based poverty line.
2. That dollar a day line is really (to use Lant Prichet’s term) a ‘destitution’ line. Move over it and you are still most definitely in poverty. The $2 a day line is probably a better line on which to pint he term ‘extreme poverty’.

]]> By: ian http://www.owen.org/blog/61/comment-page-1#comment-187 ian Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:20:51 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/?p=61#comment-187 I'm curious what it means if the new number is higher. For instance I do eduction related work in Tanzania. The revised number is $1,018, which is up from 707--a 44% increase. Does mean that an average Tanzanians money buys 44% more than was previously thought? I’m curious what it means if the new number is higher. For instance I do eduction related work in Tanzania. The revised number is $1,018, which is up from 707–a 44% increase. Does mean that an average Tanzanians money buys 44% more than was previously thought?

]]> By: Trade Diversion http://www.owen.org/blog/61/comment-page-1#comment-182 Trade Diversion Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:51:27 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/?p=61#comment-182 <strong>Of PPP estimates and poverty...</strong> The World Bank's new poverty line is $1.25 a day in 2005 prices. That makes about 400 million more poor people than under previous estimates, which used 1993 prices. Update: Owen Barder catches the media bungling the numbers....... Of PPP estimates and poverty…

The World Bank’s new poverty line is $1.25 a day in 2005 prices. That makes about 400 million more poor people than under previous estimates, which used 1993 prices. Update: Owen Barder catches the media bungling the numbers…….

]]> By: Owen Barder http://www.owen.org/blog/61/comment-page-1#comment-178 Owen Barder Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:43:38 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/?p=61#comment-178 Luke - Yes and no. If we continued to reduce poverty at the same rate, your conclusion would be correct. But: a. the challenge will get harder when the remaining poor are the most marginalised and hard to reach; and b. the rate of decline of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years has been flattered by the increase in commodity prices. If this increase is temporary, then we may return to the lack of progress we saw in the 1980s, when the poverty rate was actually increasing here in Africa. Owen Luke – Yes and no. If we continued to reduce poverty at the same rate, your conclusion would be correct.

But:

a. the challenge will get harder when the remaining poor are the most marginalised and hard to reach; and

b. the rate of decline of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years has been flattered by the increase in commodity prices. If this increase is temporary, then we may return to the lack of progress we saw in the 1980s, when the poverty rate was actually increasing here in Africa.

Owen

]]> By: Luke http://www.owen.org/blog/61/comment-page-1#comment-177 Luke Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:37:02 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/?p=61#comment-177 So can we infer that the number of people living in poverty by 2031 will be under 10%? So can we infer that the number of people living in poverty by 2031 will be under 10%?

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