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Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute

Journal of Social and Political

Sciences

ISSN 2615-3718 (Online)

ISSN 2621-5675 (Print)

asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
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doi
open access

Published: 03 January 2019

Defining Poverty: A Summary of Competing Models

Raywat Deonandan

University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

journal of social and political sciences
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doi

10.31014/aior.1991.02.01.44

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Abstract

How we talk about poverty and low income is complicated by the competing methods for defining and measuring the phenomenon. In this article, I present a brief summary of the dominant methods currently in use by the governments of Canada and USA, and by the World Bank and large NGOs: absolute vs relative measures, low income cut-off (LICO), official poverty measure (OPM), global poverty line (GPL), human poverty index (HPI), and the multidimensional poverty index (MPI).

References

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  3. Associated Press. Global poverty rate drops to record low 10%: World Bank. CNBC. Sep 19, 2018. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/19/world-bank-global-poverty-rate-drops-to-record-low.html

  4. Center for Poverty Research. What is the current poverty rate in the United States? Last accessed Dec 20, 2018. Available at: https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states

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  9. Statistics Canada. Low-income measures thresholds (LIM-AT and LIM-BT) for private households of Canada, 2015. Aug 10, 2017b. Available at: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/ref/dict/tab/t4_2-eng.cfm

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  11. Statistics Canada.  Calculation of an after-tax low income cut-off. Nov 27, 2015b. Available at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75f0002m/2012002/figure/fig1-eng.htm

  12. UNICEF. Children of the Recession: The impact of the economic crisis on child well-being in rich countries. 2014. Available at: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc12-eng-web.pdf

  13. Wissman L. 2017 Federal Poverty Level Guidelines. People Keep. Feb 7, 2017. Available at: https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/2017-federal-poverty-level-guidelines

  14. World Bank. Decline of Global Extreme Poverty Continues but Has Slowed: World Bank. Sep 19, 2018. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/09/19/decline-of-global-extreme-poverty-continues-but-has-slowed-world-bank

  15. World Bank. FAQs: Global Poverty Line Update. Sep 30, 2015. Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-poverty-line-faq

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