Comparability over time at the country level for international poverty measures

This dataset provides metadata on the comparability of poverty estimates from the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) within countries over time. Strictly comparable poverty estimates within a country require a consistent production process, including the sampling frame, questionnaires, the methodological construction of the welfare aggregates and poverty lines, a consistent deflation of prices in time and space, among many other considerations.As countries frequently improve household surveys and measurement methodologies, strict comparability of poverty estimates over time is often limited. Within a country, we assume comparability of poverty estimates over time unless there is a known change to survey methodology, measurement or data structure. Thus, the assessment of comparability is country-dependent and relies on the knowledge of current and past World Bank staff, as well as a close dialogue with national data producers with knowledge of the survey design and methodology.