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Unfortunately I fail to replicate the assertions of the article, using the World Bank's povcal tool. [0] ( Linked in the article.) As far as my clicking around

by yk 11y ago

Unfortunately I fail to replicate the assertions of the article, using the World Bank's povcal tool. [0] ( Linked in the article.) As far as my clicking around goes, it seems that a strong reduction in poverty is independent of the precise poverty line used. In particular, if I use a poverty line of $2.5/day (2005 PPP), the data shows a reduction from 75% of global population to 46%, contrary to the claim of the article. So just a bit playing with the data seems to imply that the claim of a strong reduction in global extreme poverty seems to be warranted. (This is certainly not a sciency study...) [0] http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm?1# http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm?1#

DannoHung 11y ago
Doesn't this basically just show that there has been inflation? Why not use some stuff like infant mortality or literacy or deaths from starvation or deaths from communicable disease? You know, stuff that actually indicates whether someone is impoverished or not.
- cperciva 11y ago
  Doesn't this basically just show that there has been inflation? No, because the poverty lines are all expressed in inflation-adjusted dollars. Why not use some stuff like infant mortality or literacy or deaths from starvation or deaths from communicable disease? You know, stuff that actually indicates whether someone is impoverished or not. Those measures are all improving dramatically too.
vidarh 11y ago
You need to switch to 2005 PPP [1] in order to replicate the number from the article. The numbers then does show increasing absolute numbers of poor until 1999, and then a decline getting to slightly below 1981 levels in 2011. As percentage of the worlds population it looks a bit better. [1] This version uses 205 PPP: http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNetPPP2005/index.htm?0 http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNetPPP2005/index.htm?0
- yk 11y ago
  Yes, however the numbers are still amazing.

by yk 11y ago

DannoHung 11y ago

Doesn't this basically just show that there has been inflation? Why not use some stuff like infant mortality or literacy or deaths from starvation or deaths from communicable disease? You know, stuff that actually indicates whether someone is impoverished or not.

cperciva 11y ago
Doesn't this basically just show that there has been inflation? No, because the poverty lines are all expressed in inflation-adjusted dollars. Why not use some stuff like infant mortality or literacy or deaths from starvation or deaths from communicable disease? You know, stuff that actually indicates whether someone is impoverished or not. Those measures are all improving dramatically too.

vidarh 11y ago

You need to switch to 2005 PPP [1] in order to replicate the number from the article. The numbers then does show increasing absolute numbers of poor until 1999, and then a decline getting to slightly below 1981 levels in 2011. As percentage of the worlds population it looks a bit better. [1] This version uses 205 PPP: http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNetPPP2005/index.htm?0 http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNetPPP2005/index.htm?0

yk 11y ago
Yes, however the numbers are still amazing.