Generating disaggregated poverty maps: An application to Vietnam

Abstract

Previous research shows that geographic targeting in poverty programs is not accurate unless the geographic units are small. Household surveys, however, can rarely estimate poverty rates for more than 5-10 regions. This study uses data from Vietnam to illustrate a method for generating disaggregated poverty maps. First, the relationship between poverty and household indicators is estimated using survey data. Then, census data on those same indicators are used to estimate poverty rates for each of the 543 rural districts. The results indicate that Vietnamese poverty is concentrated in the north and in districts furthest from the coast and cities. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.