(Re)counting the poor in Peru: A multidimensional approach

Type Journal Article - Latin American Journal of Economics
Title (Re)counting the poor in Peru: A multidimensional approach
Author(s)
Volume 49
Issue 1
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2012
Page numbers 37-65
URL http://laje-ce.org/economia_puc/docs/491casa.pdf
Abstract
Peruvian monetary poverty declined by 12 percentage points in only four
years. Based on the Alkire-Foster multidimensional headcount, we build a
simple comparative framework to measure the tension between this result
and a broader indicator of deprivation. We select six dimensions and apply
this framework to Peruvian data for 2004 and 2008. The results indicate
that if we rely only on monetary standards, there is an increased risk of
classifying as non-poor individuals who still suf?fer significant deprivation.
Deprivations are similar across regions and are largely related to the lack
of adequate water and sanitation services. This last result reveals an
opportunity to focalize public investment ef?forts.

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