The Case for an Expenditure-Based Poverty Line for the Newly Industrialized East Asian Societies

In: Issues & studies: a social science quarterly on China, Taiwan, and East Asian affairs, Band 40, Heft 2, S. 187-205

Abstract

Is measuring poverty an exercise in the art of the possible? Could we have a poverty line which captures both the absolute & relative elements of poverty in one measure? This paper argues for the use of a poverty line for measuring poverty in newly industrialized East Asian societies that is expenditure-based. We present a number of arguments for the expenditure poverty measure, an alternative to the prevalent & popular measures -- absolute & relative poverty. Special reference is made to the social & economic context in East Asia. The case example of Hong Kong is used to demonstrate that the expenditure-based poverty line is a more reliable & sensitive measure. More importantly, this research offers a tool that determines a strategy for social expenditures in terms of poverty alleviation that is in line with a society's social & economic context. 3 Tables, 24 References. Adapted from the source document.