Skip to Main Content

Using the standardized consumption aggregates only partly mitigates some of the disparities observed in monetary and nonmonetary indicators. Table 14 shows the different nonmonetary indicators of well-being of the extreme poor when identified using the standardized consumption aggregates rather than the national consumption aggregates. Bangladesh still scores much worse than India in many of the dimensions. For example, Bangladeshi extreme poor have lower levels of educational attainment and physical assets compared to their Indian counterparts, even though their dependency ratios and the proportion of households engaged in agriculture are similar. This is consistent with the common view that Bangladesh is poorer than India.

Table 14. 

Summary Statistics of Indicators of Nonmonetary Well-Being for the Extreme Poor Identified Using the Standardized Consumption Aggregates

VariableBangladeshBhutanIndiaMaldivesNepalPakistanSri Lanka
Household composition       
Household size 5.68 8.18 5.60 7.58 7.20 9.68 5.68 
Dependency ratio 0.47 0.40 0.95 0.41 0.53 0.57 0.41 
Education attainment in household        
Household head knows how to read and write 0.27 0.21 0.50 1.00 0.34 0.31  
Proportion of household members who are illiterate 0.69 0.62 0.45 0.43 0.62 0.76 0.20 
Household members with primary schooling 0.18 0.33 0.14 0.17 0.33 0.20 0.35 
Ratio of female children in school to all children in school 0.52 0.49  0.51 0.53 0.37 0.49 
Employment        
Household head engaged in agriculture 0.54  0.54 0.59  0.41 0.46 
Household head self-employed 0.37 0.14 0.42 0.43 0.83 0.37 0.31 
Household assets and facilities        
Household has a landline phone 0.01  0.006 0.07 0.02 0.02 0.13 
Household has electricity 0.29 0.65 0.55  0.38 0.82 0.74 
Household has a radio 0.05 0.35 0.14 0.65 0.43 0.02 0.48 
Household has a television 0.12 0.22 0.23 0.93 0.13 0.29 0.60 
Household has a fan 0.19 0.06 0.40 1.00 0.12 0.78 0.22 
Household has a sewing machine 0.03 0.01 0.05 0.55 0.04 0.25 0.17 
Household has a bicycle 0.16 0.04 0.59 0.30 0.28 0.23 0.35 
Drinking water from hygienic source 0.96 0.98   0.75 0.86 0.87 
Availability of proper sanitation facilities 0.33 0.61   0.08 0.34 0.79 
VariableBangladeshBhutanIndiaMaldivesNepalPakistanSri Lanka
Household composition       
Household size 5.68 8.18 5.60 7.58 7.20 9.68 5.68 
Dependency ratio 0.47 0.40 0.95 0.41 0.53 0.57 0.41 
Education attainment in household        
Household head knows how to read and write 0.27 0.21 0.50 1.00 0.34 0.31  
Proportion of household members who are illiterate 0.69 0.62 0.45 0.43 0.62 0.76 0.20 
Household members with primary schooling 0.18 0.33 0.14 0.17 0.33 0.20 0.35 
Ratio of female children in school to all children in school 0.52 0.49  0.51 0.53 0.37 0.49 
Employment        
Household head engaged in agriculture 0.54  0.54 0.59  0.41 0.46 
Household head self-employed 0.37 0.14 0.42 0.43 0.83 0.37 0.31 
Household assets and facilities        
Household has a landline phone 0.01  0.006 0.07 0.02 0.02 0.13 
Household has electricity 0.29 0.65 0.55  0.38 0.82 0.74 
Household has a radio 0.05 0.35 0.14 0.65 0.43 0.02 0.48 
Household has a television 0.12 0.22 0.23 0.93 0.13 0.29 0.60 
Household has a fan 0.19 0.06 0.40 1.00 0.12 0.78 0.22 
Household has a sewing machine 0.03 0.01 0.05 0.55 0.04 0.25 0.17 
Household has a bicycle 0.16 0.04 0.59 0.30 0.28 0.23 0.35 
Drinking water from hygienic source 0.96 0.98   0.75 0.86 0.87 
Availability of proper sanitation facilities 0.33 0.61   0.08 0.34 0.79 

Note: All reported summary statistics are population weighted.

Source: Authors’ estimates based on South Asia Harmonized Micro Dataset (accessed September 15, 2017).

View Large

Close Modal
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our privacy policy.
Accept