Just a first hint, I would like to say that in current spearhead science measurement does not necessarily mean a quantitative one. If so, poverty is measure in terms of the feeling about the joy of life, the integration with the natural environment. Of course, we all know other measurements such as Gini, etc. 

Hello Flourish Itulua-Abumere,

If you mean economic indicators, GNP/GDP ratios, comparative economic growth rates, income insecurity, average unemployment, literacy rates...you can find this kind of data with a simple search. There are also more specific indicators of poverty, that are (less) quantitative. For instance, health (disease) nutrition, access to clean water, electricity, justice, police protection. See below:

You will find that poverty to have a relative meaning depending on geography, social conditions, political environment, level of (social & economic) development and context.

I hope that helps,

Daryn Dyer

PS:

Also, if you have a moment, I would appreciate your participation in my graduate survey study about ethics/intentions and behaviour in the workplace. The following link will take you to the questionnaire which takes about 3-4 minutes:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GZ8KR79

Thank you in advance

D.

However, the complexity of poverty is such that no single measurement can encompass its depth and length. By and large it is one one the most complex problems, in the technical sense of "complexity" (= not just as an adverb or an adjective).

Thanks everyone. Researching about this topic, am wondering, is poverty measured on the basis of absolute or relative? Or is it measured according to poverty line used in the OECD or by economic distance? All points noted. Thanks 

Hello Flourish Itulua-Abumere

Here is a partial answer to your question: Is poverty measured on the basis of absolute or relative?

I would argue that poverty is relative because each country has its own particularities. Also, poverty issues in developed countries really can not be compared to poverty in developed countries. Having said that, there is some value you in measuring poverty in absolute terms, which you will come across in detail if  you review:

I have also attached an article that explores definitions of poverty in both absolute and relative terms.

Is it (poverty) measured according to poverty line used in the OECD or by economic distance?

It is measured by both based on differing approaches. Consider:

OECD Strategies, Programs & Reports:

http://www.one.org/international/blog/new-oecd-report-calls-for-a-financing-strategy-that-delivers-for-the-poorest/

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/docs/egm12/PAPER-RICHARDSON.pdf

http://www.oecd.org/social/inequality-and-poverty.htm

Economic distance:

Good luck,

Daryn

Hello Flourish Itulua-Abumere,

In the Netherlands (Western Europe) a Poverty Monitor has been conducted for years. The link below leads you to a English summary, that looks into, among other items, poverty indicators.

http://www.scp.nl/english/Publications/Summaries_by_year/Summaries_2007/Poverty_monitor_2007

Kind regards

Edwin Kruisbergen

Dear Flourish,

There is a huge literature on this, and both the concept and its measurement are still contested. If we define poverty as ‘An individual actor is poor if he consistently lacks the means to obtain the minimum necessities of his community’ (Rules of Relief, p. 360), an approach involving a combination of expert and consensual budget standards seems most promising. The poverty line used in The Netherlands provides an example; and at EU level there is currently some interesting work in progress on reference budgets, which may eventually may provide adequate yardsticks for cross-comparative poverty analysis.

Some references on this approach:

- A. Soede & C. Vrooman (2008). Beyond the breadline; a poverty threshold based on a generalised budget approach.  The Hague: The Netherlands Institute for Social Research|SCP.

http://www.scp.nl/english/Publications/Publications_by_year/Publications_2008/Beyond_the_breadline

- J.C. Vrooman (2009). “Poverty”, in: Rules of Relief; Institutions of Social Security, and Their Impact” (p. 344-426). The Hague: The Netherlands Institute for Social Research|SCP.

http://www.scp.nl/english/Publications/Publications_by_year/Publications_2009/Rules_of_Relief

- S. Hoff, A. Soede, C. Vrooman, C. van Gaalen, A. Luten & S. Lamers (2010). The minimum agreed upon; consensual budget standards for the Netherlands. The Hague: The Netherlands Institute for Social Research|SCP.

http://www.scp.nl/english/Publications/Publications_by_year/Publications_2010/The_minimum_agreed_upon

- SCP/CBS (2014). Armoedesignalement 2014 [Poverty Survey 2014; with a summary in English]. The Hague: The Netherlands Institute for Social Research|SCP.

http://www.scp.nl/Publicaties/Alle_publicaties/Publicaties_2014/Armoedesignalement_2014

- Applica/University of Antwerp (2015). Reference budgets for social inclusion (project web site).

http://www.referencebudgets.eu

I agree with the extended information provided. Poverty is also a relative measure depending on the level of development of each country. You can find poverty measures in some Latin American countries that will vary across the continent.

In Canada you'll find cut off measures provided by Stats Canada. There is a great variety of ways to measure poverty but you'll have to be careful if you need to do comparative studies.

I have been working on such a theme for almost two decades with detailed and dis-aggregated Indian data (collected by National Sample Survey Organization founded by Professor P. C. Mahalanobis in Calcutta, now an exclusive Govt. of India Ministry, and Census of India) both at State and sub-state (districts) levels, also across rural and urban regions with both the States and Districts.

Those of you who have written above that it 'absolutely relative', they are perfectly correct. Moreover, it must be composed of both physical, social, political, geographical, educational, mental, human rights/judiciary, cultural and occupational phenomenon. What is more, the strength and role of these factors are highly 'time varying'. In India, this has been measured since 1969 but by only quantitative indicators. This is no longer an unmixed and accepted method. A close substitute may be the UNO's multi-dimensional method. One can consult Amartya Sen's and Professor Kaushik Basu's numerous papers and books. I have some such elementary works in Research Gate/ Academia.

Still I would like to add that in an intensely diverse society like India with more than 1500 languages/ dialects, rituals and history of almost 6000 years, +50 degree to -40 degree Celsius, life of the common men/women amounting to at least 900 million is extremely vulnerable and helpless unless one has network/ connection with the uneducated/ ignorant/ unsocial/ criminal local powerful leaders or some great VVIPs. In essence thus, rule of law matters the most for 'happiness' more than livelihood and calorie intake. Of course, there are many regions within India which are almost heavenly such as the Himalayan areas, Kerala, Gujarat, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura and many parts of South India.

So it is not easy to preach a single methodology or single set of indicators for all countries and for all times. Relatively speaking,-----------------------------.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your suggestions and comments. 

 We always tend to measure whatever we wish to. Poverty is multi dimensional. Hunger is one of them. Even having our stomach full, we can display mental and social poverty. I would like to know what we wish to measure!

Poverty is one of the major problems the world is confronting today. It is

described as both a cause and an effect of many of the socio-economic evils of our society. It is defined as a condition of life characterised by hunger, disease, squalor, malnutrition, and mental and physical distress. According to the World Development Report 1990 of the World Bank (1990), poverty symbolises the inability of a person to attain a minimum standard of living. It is estimated that a great majority of people in Afro-Asian and Latin American countries are poor or near-poor. Since many of the Muslim countries are in Africa and Asia, it would be relevant indeed to learn about the Islamic perspective of poverty and study how the Islamic shariah defines and measures the phenomenon of poverty.

The Definition and Measurement of Poverty:An Integrated Islamic Approach

 By SAYED AFZAL PEERZADE. article is attached

Other religions or societies may have their own creiteria.

 Dear Flourish

   I am totally agree with the views of all the panel members but in my personal view, I define the poverty as the minimum requirement for one men/women to fulfill him/her food, shelter and cloth.......... For me and a normal people,  GDP/GNP is big complicated issue......Cheers..

Discourse on such an important issue should be based on much more organized and responsible way.

Poverty is of two types. One is physical, while the other is mental. A considerable proportion of world population is simply suffering from scientific combination of food poverty. In south east Asia and Africa, this proportion is no less than 30%. Then comes appropriate clothing and shelter. All these three combined may be called physical poverty. Yes, this can be easily measured depending upon a country's cost of living and household income/expenditure.

Then come other elements. In prevailing literature, it may be captured as multi-dimensional poverty. This may (and do) include children education, health care facility, safety and security of assets and properties, freedom and mobility of women, etc. This set can again be extended to healthy environment, rule of law, trust, etc. Human development index partly captures these perceptions. For example, if in any region, people are physically rich but there is no rule of law, both rich and poor people are unhappy, or lacks peace. But the rich may feel more mentally poor compared to the physically poor, because rich could spend more on happiness /peace, but fail to do so, while the poor do not have the capability to imagine so.

In many regions of India, political and social instability are so high that the above conjecture fits well. Of course, in many more regions of Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Africa, the situation is much more worse than what it was 50 years ago. Therefore, relatively speaking,-----------------------------------

In any case, both types of poverty can be measured if we have reliable data. There is huge literature on this topic. 

The true notion of poverty as a broader concept can not be captured by existing uni-dimensional income based measure as well as the UNDP's recently introduced Multidimensional poverty index ( MPI) unless there is universally defined and applicable measure of people dis-empowerment ( or empowerment) in all its dimensions ( social , economic, political, psychological/spiritual etc) encompassing both objective reality and subjective perceptions of life.                

Dear Flourish Itulua-Abumere,

Yes indeed poverty can be measured. Moreover, I agree with other colleagues that poverty is nowadays a multidimensional phenomenon.

The most recent and innovative method for estimating multidimensional poverty is based on FUZZY SETS theory. Some authors argue that this is also the best method to measure the capabilities of Sen. 

Please have a look at my recent papers in Empirical Economics and Social Indicators Research:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270454990_Comparative_measures_of_multidimensional_deprivation_in_the_European_Union

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286413553_Fuzzy_Measures_of_Longitudinal_Poverty_in_a_Comparative_Perspective

Moreover, the edited book of Lemmi and Betti (2006) could the theoretical backgraond of the Fuzzy Set Approach to Multidimensional Poverty measurement.

Best regards,

Gianni

Article Comparative measures of multidimensional deprivation in the ...

Article Fuzzy Measures of Longitudinal Poverty in a Comparative Perspective

But there are different poverty. Perhaps the worst is removable poverty of spirit.

... yes ...