Poverty and Income Mobility in a Data-Scarce World: Concepts, Measures, and Data Challenges

Hai-Anh Dang ()

No 1841, GLO Discussion Paper Series from Global Labor Organization (GLO)

Abstract: Poverty headcounts show how many people are poor at a given date, but not who enters, escapes or remains in poverty. We review poverty and income mobility measures, emphasizing their data requirements and relevance for poorer countries. The framework distinguishes time horizons and national or global reference frames, and organizes estimation by data availability. An inventory covering 218 economies identifies qualifying household welfare panels in only about two-fifths, with recent documented longitudinal fieldwork in even fewer economies. Three empirical illustrations examine synthetic-panel validation, global welfare-class transitions for 1,235 subnational regions, and measurement-error sensitivity in a Vietnamese panel. Selected validations show small average deviations in joint transition shares. Regional movements are predominantly upward, although magnitudes depend on survey comparability and sample composition. Added error to the panel changes entry and exit rates substantially, while the share poor in both years remains comparatively stable. We conclude with reporting guidance and priorities for improving mobility data.

Keywords: income mobility; poverty dynamics; synthetic panels; measurement error; subnational data; household surveys (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C81 D31 I32 O10 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Related works:
Working Paper: Poverty and Income Mobility in a Data-Scarce World: Concepts, Measures, and Data Challenges (2026)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:glodps:1841

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