Open AccessAn Urban Poverty Line Estimate
Author(s) -
Abdul Wasay
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
pakistan development review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.154
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 0030-9729
DOI - 10.30541/v16i1pp.49-57
Subject(s) - basic needs , poverty , clothing , consumption (sociology) , economics , poverty reduction , public economics , developing country , development economics , economic growth , geography , sociology , social science , archaeology
A fundamental policy objective in developing countries is thereduction of poverty and the provision of an adequate level of incomesufficient to allow for the basic consumption needs of the lowest incomegroup. It is not an easy objective because resources are limited.Moreover, the definition of basic needs itself is difficult since theseneeds vary from region to region, and over time. Nevertheless, thepoverty problem is sufficiently important to justify the development ofpractical measures of at least the biological and physical needs: food,clothing, and shelter. With such measures, a translation of basicconsumption needs from physical to expenditure units and the calculationof an absolute poverty line is possible.