Poverty and Inequality Data
Information System on Equity and Social Indicators (EQxIS)
The Information System Social Indicators and Equity (EQxIS) is a tool developed by the Poverty and Inequality Unit (SDS/POV) to monitor disaggregated data on social indicators, in particular, those proposed for measuring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. This disaggregation measures discrepancies among different population groups. EQxIS displays social indicators by income quintile, gender, urban/rural area and race/ethnicity, using information from the households surveys Databank of the MECOVI Program for 20 countries. Information is displayed via charts and tables generated on-line and is easily exportable. This tool is available on the Internet at: www.iadb.org/xindicators.
Poverty Indicators
Recognizing that one of the greatest challenges faced by the region is the reduction of poverty and inequality, the IDB has adopted this objective as one of the main mandates of its Eighth Replenishment of Resources and the Institutional Strategy. In order to achieve this objective, the Bank has placed, and will continue to place, special emphasis on improving information about poverty and social development. Approximately 35 percent of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean lives with less than US$2.00 dollars a day (in purchasing power parity). Though the incidence of poverty (measured by the headcount ratio) dropped in the nineties, the number of poor increased and the ratio of poor people continues to be 3 percent higher than in 1980. The Poverty Unit and the Research Department have recently estimated poverty headcounts under different adjustment methods. The use of different adjustment factors generates estimates that differ not only in magnitude, but also in terms of trends when two points in time are compared.
- Head count ratio for a range of poverty lines
- Head count ratio for a range of equivalence scales and economic scales in consumption
- Head count ratio for a range of methods for dealing with survey data problems
There are many sources for poverty and inequality data series in the region:
Poverty:
Inequality:
Socioeconomic statistics:
The poverty Unit has also produced a series of socioeconomic indicators by quintile of household per capita income. In addition, the Household Survey Initiative (MECOVI) provides a highly useful source for household survey data for Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Last updated: 01/16/07
