Consumption is a well-being measure that is determined by a combination of resources (e.g., income, in-kind benefits, assets, debt, time) available to households, their circumstances, and their preferences. In this study, we derive consumption poverty statistics using a consumption measure that includes the flow of services from owner-occupied housing and vehicles and in-kind transfers. The base data are from the US Consumer Expenditure Survey Interview from 2015 through 2020. The consumption poverty rate (using an absolute threshold anchored to the 2015 relative consumption poverty rate) declines from 16.8 percent in 2015 to 11.5 percent in 2020.
Average prices Consumer price indexes Consumer prices
How the data are obtainedSurvey of businesses, Survey of households
Classification system Commodity
Periodicity of data availability Bimonthly, Monthly
Geographic detailCensus region, Metro area, U.S. City average Scope Urban consumers
The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.
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