Choosing Concepts and Measurements of Poverty: A Comparison of Three Major Poverty Approaches

A comparative analysis of different poverty measures, particularly across studies that use different conceptualizations and measurements of poverty, is very valuable. In highlighting this fact, this article compares three poverty measurements: monetary poverty, social exclusion, and capability poverty measurements. The results indicate that all three poverty measurements classify varied proportions of the U.S. population as poor. These variations occur as a function of the conceptualization and measurement of poverty. In general, all three poverty measurements are inadequate indicators of well-being. It is reasonable to suggest that researchers report results using more than one poverty measurement.