A Simple Poverty Scorecard for Pakistan

How poor are participants in pro-poor programs in Pakistan? This study uses the 2005/6 Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey to construct an easy-to-use scorecard that estimates the likelihood that a Pakistani household has expenditure below a given poverty line. The scorecard uses 10 simple indicators that field workers can quickly collect and verify. Poverty scores can be computed on paper in the field in about 5 to 10 minutes. The scorecard’s accuracy and precision are reported for a range of poverty lines. The poverty scorecard is a practical way for pro-poor programs in Pakistan to monitor poverty rates, track changes in poverty rates over time, and target services.

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