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Equity-regarding poverty measures: Differences in needs and the role of equivalence scales

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  • Udo Ebert

Abstract

The paper investigates the definition of equity-regarding poverty measures when there are different household types in the population. It derives the implications of a between-type regressive transfer principle for poverty measures, for the choice of poverty lines and for the measurement of living standard. The role of equivalence scales which are popular in empirical work on poverty measurement is clarified.

Suggested Citation

  • Udo Ebert, 2008. "Equity-regarding poverty measures: Differences in needs and the role of equivalence scales," LIS Working papers 508, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:lis:liswps:508
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    1. Boyd H. Hunter & Steven Kennedy & Nicholas Biddle, 2004. "Indigenous and Other Australian Poverty: Revisiting the Importance of Equivalence Scales," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 80(251), pages 411-422, December.
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    23. Udo Ebert, 2004. "Social welfare, inequality, and poverty when needs differ," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 23(3), pages 415-448, December.
    24. Ooghe, Erwin & Lambert, Peter, 2006. "On bounded dominance criteria," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 15-30, July.
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    30. Udo Ebert, 1999. "Using equivalent income of equivalent adults to rank income distributions," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 16(2), pages 233-258.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elisabetta Santarelli, "undated". "A review of the literature on subjective poverty in Europe: a focus on data sources," Working Papers 118/13, Sapienza University of Rome, Metodi e Modelli per l'Economia, il Territorio e la Finanza MEMOTEF.
    2. Udo Ebert, 2011. "The redistribution of income when needs differ," Working Papers V-331-11, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Feb 2011.
    3. repec:old:wpaper:331 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:zbw:hohpro:331 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Poverty measures; differences in needs; principle of transfers; equivalence scales;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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