The fact that different studies seeking to measure poverty in a given
country often give differing results, although they apparently use the
same method and same data source, has long disconcerted both experts
in the field and the public in general. Such differences regarding
poverty incidences reduce the credibility and technical reliability of
these measurements, shed doubts on estimates of the level and
evolution of poverty, and hinder inter-temporal comparisons. That is
why it is important to foster greater consensus among researchers
regarding the criteria and procedure to be used, with a view to
progressing towards a common pattern, which will make the
measurements more consistent and homogeneous, and guarantee their
effective comparability. This policy paper provides a recommended
strategy for estimating an absolute poverty line using household survey
data of the years 1987-88, 1996-97 and 1998-99. It is anticipated that
this paper could provide a base to achieve a national consensus on this
important issue.