2003 

Global statistics on poverty

To: alex.kirby@bbc.co.uk

...We spoke a few months ago about global poverty statistics, during the Earth Summit. ... 
...perhaps you could guide me to someone who could assess the content for the BBC.   

The flaws include:  

1.  Failing to adjust for the fact that changes in survival rates of hungry people influence the economic statistics in the wrong direction.  
2.  Failing to adjust for the cost of living, or even the general price of rice or wheat.  
3.  Failing to adjust for food requirements, even though proportions of children vary over time and between countries.  
4.  Using income data known to be unreliable, and certified as such by senior academic economists. ...

There are many disturbing things about this story, including the fact that Martin Ravallion, the man in charge of the World Bank numbers for "halving poverty", has written academic papers about flaws in poverty measurement and then subsequently used the flawed methods.  ...

Many thanks for your interest.