This study uses Nicaragua’s 2005 Living Standard Measurement Survey to construct an easy-to-use scorecard that estimates the likelihood that a household has expenditure below a given poverty line. The scorecard uses ten simple indicators that field workers can quickly collect and verify. Poverty scores can be computed on paper in the field in five to ten minutes. The scorecard’s accuracy and precision are reported for a range of poverty lines. The poverty scorecard is a practical way for pro-poor programs in
Nicaragua to measure poverty rates, to track changes in poverty rates over time, and to target services.