Seminar by Jonathan Morduch (New York University)

Centre for Development Economics
Department of Economics
Delhi School of Economics

ANNOUNCE A SEMINAR

by

Venue:  Amex Room

Abstract:-
Low incomes are often unsteady within the year. By design, however, poverty headcounts in national statistics downplay instability. We introduce a complementary concept, the timecount, which captures the shifting durations and intensities of poverty within the year. We show that, due tosurvey methodologies, timecounts have unintentionally become the de facto poverty rates in India and other countries, effectively replacing headcounts. In monthly longitudinal data from rural India, the timecount is 28% larger than the conventional headcount, captures deprivations of a wider population, and better predicts child health. We describe consequences for analysis, global policy, and ethics.

All are cordially invited.

back to seminars…