The rich and the poor: the construction of an affluence line from the poverty line

Type Journal Article - Social Indicators Research
Title The rich and the poor: the construction of an affluence line from the poverty line
Author(s)
Volume 78
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2006
Page numbers 1-18
URL http://www.povertycentre.org/medeiros/2006_rich_poor_affluence_line_social_indicators_78.pdf
Abstract
The paper proposes a simple methodology to estimate an affluence line that depends on the knowledge of the income distribution and the poverty line for a given population. The idea that poverty is morally unacceptable and can be eradicated through redistribution of wealth provides the grounds for the methodology. The line is defined as the value that delimitates the aggregated income required to eradicate poverty by the way of transfers from the rich to the poor. I estimate an affluence line using Brazilian 1999 National Household Survey data and briefly discuss the results.

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