Do Adult Equivalence Scales Matter in Poverty Estimates? A Northern Ghana Case Study and Simulation

Abstract

We test the sensitivity of per capita expenditures to several methods of per adult equivalent expenditures to control for economies of scale and household composition. Simulation analysis determines the indifference point between per capita expenditures and per adult equivalent measures in order to identify the factors contributing to the dominance of one measure over another. Results indicate that overall poverty and inequality measures in northern Ghana are highly sensitive to the use of equivalence scales. Poverty measures for children and the elderly and in urban and rural areas are also sensitive to equivalence scales.

Do Adjustments for Equivalence Scales Affect Poverty Dynamics? Evidence from the Russian Federation during 1994–2017

“…The sensitivity of poverty (and inequality) estimates to choices of ESs has been widely recognized in studies on both richer countries, such as Germany (Peichl et al ., 2012) and European countries (Bonke and Schroder, 2008), and poorer countries, such as China (Bishop and Luo, 2006), Ghana (Regier et al ., 2019), India (Meenakshi and Ray, 2002), or sub‐Saharan Africa (Newhouse et al ., 2017).…”

Private health insurance, healthcare spending and utilization among older adults: Results from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging

“…Possession of financial assets such as retirement accounts or savings are relatively rare in Brazil (Bonomo et al, n.d.;World Bank, 2022). Based on recent work comparing household equivalence scales for measuring poverty among adults (Abanokova et al, 2020;Bjorn Gelders, 2021;Karvonen et al, 2021;OECD, 2011;Regier et al, 2019), we adjusted consumption, income and asset measures by the square root of household size. Sensitivity tests using a simple per capita equivalence scale were largely similar to results obtained here.…”

“I always think about tomorrow what I'll eat” an exploration of the experiences of adolescents in poor urban contexts in Accra, Ghana

“…Yet, studies that focus on child poverty in the Ghanaian context are limited and much so are studies that focus on the particular situation of adolescents in urban poor contexts (Agyire‐Tettey et al, 2021; Kofinti & Annim, 2016). Most studies tend to focus on adult poverty (Aboagye‐Attah, 2019; Regier et al, 2015), creating a gap on the subjective experiences of poverty among adolescents in urban areas. This study aims to explore how poverty is experienced in urban areas in Ghana from adolescents' perspective by exploring: (1) adolescents' conceptualization of poverty; (2) adolescents' lived experiences (both positive and negative) of living in a poor urban context; (3) adolescents' perception of the impact of their experiences on their well‐being and aspirations.…”