Principles and Practicalities for Measuring Child Poverty in the Rich Countries

69 Pages Posted: 4 May 2005

See all articles by Miles Corak

Miles Corak

Statistics Canada; University of Ottawa; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Date Written: April 2005

Abstract

This paper has three objectives. The first is to discuss the major issues involved in defining and measuring child poverty. The choices that must be made are clarified, and a set of six principles to serve as a guide for public policy are stated. The second objective is to take stock of child poverty and changes in child poverty in the majority of OECD countries since about 1990 when the Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force. Finally, the third objective is to formulate a number of suggestions for the setting of credible targets for the elimination of child poverty in the rich countries. This involves a method for embodying the ideal of children having priority on social resources into a particular set of child poverty reduction targets, it involves the development of appropriate and timely information sources, and finally it involves the clarification of feasible targets that may vary across the OECD.

Keywords: I30, I32, I38

JEL Classification: poverty, children, social policy

Suggested Citation

Corak, Miles, Principles and Practicalities for Measuring Child Poverty in the Rich Countries (April 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=714941 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.714941

Miles Corak (Contact Author)

Statistics Canada ( email )

Family and Labour Studies
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6
Canada
613-951-9047 (Phone)
613-951-5403 (Fax)

University of Ottawa

2292 Edwin Crescent
Ottawa, Ontario K2C 1H7
Canada

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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