The Debate on Globalization, Poverty, and Inequality : Why Measurement Matters

In the last year or so, markedly different claims have been heard within the development community about just how much progress is being made against poverty and inequality in the current period of "globalization." Ravallion provides a nontechnical overview of the conceptual and methodological issues underlying these conflicting claims. He argues that the dramatically differing positions taken in this debate often stem from differences in the concepts and definitions used and differences in data sources and measurement assumptions. These differences are often hidden from view in the debate, but they need to be considered carefully if one is to properly interpret the evidence. The author argues that the best available evidence suggests that if the rate of progress against absolute poverty in the developing world in the 1990s is maintained, then the Millennium Development Goal of halving the 1990 aggregate poverty rate by 2015 will be achieved on time in the aggregate, though not in all regions. He concludes with some observations on the implications for the more policy-oriented debates on globalization and pro-poor growth.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Ravallion, Martin
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2003-05
Subjects:	GLOBALIZATION, POVERTY ISSUES, GENDER INEQUALITY, METHODOLOGY, POVERTY, DEVELOPMENT MODELS, LIVING STANDARDS INDICATORS, PURCHASING POWER, SOCIAL WELFARE, INCOME, POVERTY REDUCTION ABSOLUTE INEQUALITY, ABSOLUTE POVERTY, ABSOLUTE TERMS, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, CAUSAL EFFECTS, CITIZENS, CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES, CONSUMPTION GROWTH, COUNTRY DATA, DATA COVERAGE, DATA SETS, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPING COUNTRY, DEVELOPING WORLD, DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS, DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, DISTRIBUTIONAL CHANGES, DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS, DIVERSE IMPACTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC POLICIES, ECONOMIC REFORMS, ECONOMIC REVIEW, ECONOMICS, ECONOMICS LETTERS, EXCHANGE RATES, EXTERNAL TRADE, GEOGRAPHIC POVERTY TRAPS, GROWTH PROCESS, GROWTH RATE, GROWTH RATES, HEALTH CARE, HIGH GROWTH, HIGH INEQUALITY, HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS, INCOME INEQUALITY, INCOME LEVELS, INCOME POVERTY, INCREASING INEQUALITY, INEQUALITY CHANGES, INEQUALITY MEASURES, INEQUALITY WILL, LIVING STANDARDS, MEAN INCOME, MEASUREMENT ERRORS, MEASURING POVERTY, MICRO DATA, MICRO MODEL, NATIONAL ACCOUNTS, PAPERS, POLICY MAKERS, POLICY REFORMS, POLICY RESEARCH, POOR AREAS, POOR COUNTRIES, POOR PEOPLE, POVERTY DYNAMICS, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY LINES, POVERTY MEASURE, POVERTY MEASURES, POVERTY RATE, POVERTY RATES, POVERTY REDUCTION, PRO-POOR, PRO-POOR GROWTH, PURCHASING POWER PARITY, REGIONAL DISPARITIES, RELATIVE INCOME, RELATIVE INEQUALITY, RELATIVE POSITION, RELATIVE PRICES, RICH COUNTRIES, RICH PEOPLE, SKILLED LABOR, TAXATION, TRADE LIBERALIZATION, TRADE OPENNESS, TRADE POLICY, ABSOLUTE INEQUALITY,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/05/2340133/debate-globalization-poverty-inequality-measurement-matters https://hdl.handle.net/10986/18207
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