Trends in Subjective Income Poverty Rates in the European Union

When developing anti-poverty policies, policymakers need accurate data on the prevalence of poverty. In this paper, we focus on subjective poverty, a concept which has been largely neglected in the literature, though it remains a conceptually appealing way to define poverty. The primary goal of this study is to re-examine the concept of subjective poverty measurement and to estimate trends in subjective income poverty rates in the European Union. Our estimations are based on a Minimum Income Question using data from a representative survey, EU-SILC. We find robust empirical evidence of decreasing trends in subjective poverty in 16 of 28 EU countries. We conjecture that trends in subjective poverty may reflect changes in societies which are not captured by official poverty indicators, and our results thus enrich the existing data on general poverty trends in the EU.

How Have the Subjective Poverty Lines and The Perceived Consequences of Poverty Changed During the Pandemic in Minnesota?

I examine how the subjective interpretation of poverty has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic downturn in St. Louis County, Minnesota, using comparative data from a data collection conducted before and during the pandemic. The data collection using cultural domain analysis asked information about the informants’ beliefs about poverty. I find that the importance of the main perceived consequences of poverty did not change significantly during the pandemic. In both Surveys, consequences related to material needs made up an important part of the items. A remarkable difference, however, is that the problem of perpetuated poverty is perceived to be more important during the pandemic. The subjective poverty lines did not change significantly during the pandemic either. The income level below which most of the people can be considered poor is between $ 14-15 per capita hourly net income on average. Three friends who are ready and able to help were enough to avoid poverty. Most of the large families are perceived to be poor when they bring up at least three children, while it was two children right before the pandemic. As for educational level, the poverty threshold was increased from 11th grade to high school graduate. It implies that if the individual did not graduate from high school, (s)he is more likely to become poor than before the pandemic.

THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY IN THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN (RESULTS OF SOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES)

The paper is devoted to the analysis of subjective poverty in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The limitations of monetary and the advantages of subjective approaches in measuring poverty are well founded. Based on the data of sociological surveys conducted by the Institute of Strategic Research of the Republic of Bashkortostan in 2015-2020, a higher level of subjective poverty has been determined as well as an absence of positive dynamics in the reduction of this indicator. Four surveys showed comparable poverty rates, confirming the objectivity of the differences with official statistics. At the same time, the socio-demographic profile of the recipients of targeted social assistance is fully correlated with the profile of social poverty derived from the sociological survey. It has been shown that the high level of subjective poverty is due to the displacement of economically active population groups into it, following the deterioration of their material situation. The highest incidence of poverty was the low level of wages and the inability to find better jobs. The level of demand and the actual material situation in the social strata of the data leads to widespread poverty. It is argued that sex and age characteristics, place of residence, level of education, presence of children in the family are factors that contribute to the risk of falling downward social mobility among the poor. The study made concrete proposals to reduce poverty in the region.

Subjective Poverty and Material Deprivation in Three Post-Soviet Countries

This article provides an overview of different aspects of poverty in three Post-Soviet countries: Russia, Armenia and Georgia. It looks into the material situation of households and subjective and deprivation poverty. Source data are the findings of three population surveys, conducted in the considered countries in 2017. The analysis shows a significant level of material deprivation among the population in the studied countries. The most vulnerable categories are rural population, 65+, and families with three or more children. Households in Armenia and Georgia are more dependent on farming and financial aid from their relatives than Russian households. Although the level of material deprivation in Russia is significantly lower compared with Armenia and Georgia, the level of relative subjective poverty in Russia is notably higher. It is likely due to higher inequality, which may point at risks of social instability. This indicates the need for new government policies in Russia that would focus on social development and reduction of inequality and social exclusion