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Estimating Poverty among Refugee Populations: A Cross-Survey Imputation Exercise for Chad

Author

Listed:
  • Beltramo, Theresa

    (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)

  • Dang, Hai-Anh H

    (World Bank)

  • Sarr, Ibrahima

    (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)

  • Verme, Paolo

    (World Bank)

Abstract

Household consumption surveys do not typically cover refugee populations, and poverty estimates for refugees are rare. This paper tests the performance of a recently developed cross-survey imputation method to estimate poverty for a sample of refugees in Chad, combining survey and administrative data collected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The proposed method offers poverty estimates based on administrative data that are mostly statistically insignificantly different from those based on survey consumption data. This result is robust to different poverty lines, sets of regressors, and modeling assumptions of the error terms. We find the method to outperform common targeting methods, such as proxy means tests and the targeting method that is currently used by humanitarian organizations in Chad.

Suggested Citation

  • Beltramo, Theresa & Dang, Hai-Anh H & Sarr, Ibrahima & Verme, Paolo, 2021. "Estimating Poverty among Refugee Populations: A Cross-Survey Imputation Exercise for Chad," IZA Discussion Papers 14606, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14606
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    Cited by:

    1. Pape, Utz & Verme, Paolo, 2023. "Measuring Poverty in Forced Displacement Contexts," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1245, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Dang,Hai-Anh H. & Kilic,Talip & Carletto,Calogero & Abanokova,Kseniya, 2021. "Poverty Imputation in Contexts without Consumption Data : A Revisit with Further Refinements," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9838, The World Bank.
    3. Hai-Anh H. Dang & Paolo Verme, 2023. "Estimating poverty for refugees in data-scarce contexts: an application of cross-survey imputation," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(2), pages 653-679, April.
    4. Hai-Anh H. Dang & Talip Kilic & Ksenia Abanokova & Gero Carletto, 2024. "Imputing Poverty Indicators without Consumption Data : An Exploratory Analysis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10867, The World Bank.
    5. Della Guardia, Anne & Lake, Milli & Schnitzer, Pascale, 2022. "Selective inclusion in cash transfer programs: Unintended consequences for social cohesion," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    refugees; forced displacement; poverty; imputation; targeting; Chad;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C15 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Statistical Simulation Methods: General
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O20 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - General

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