National Data Office trains Asian officials on poverty statistics

The National Data Office said it is conducting a five-day training course on poverty measurement for 18 officials from eight developing nations across Asia and the Pacific.

The program aims to bolster participants' capacity to compile poverty data in line with international standards and support Sustainable Development Goals. Hosted by the office's National Data Talent Development Institute, the initiative is jointly organized with the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific and the World Bank.

Participants include civil servants from Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.

The training addresses the need for accurate poverty statistics to establish evidence-based policies, urgency that grew following the World Bank's revision of the international poverty line from $2.15 to $3.00 per person per day. This change requires nations to build new measurement systems that reflect updated criteria and ensure comparability across borders.

Officials noted that the Asia-Pacific region faces significant disparities in income levels and statistical production capabilities. To address this, the course combines theoretical instruction with practical exercises designed to help participants apply globally accepted methodologies directly to their own work.

Curriculum topics include building consumption-based welfare indicators using household survey data, setting poverty lines and estimating associated rates. Sessions also cover comparisons between national and international thresholds and examine case studies on how governments utilize poverty statistics in policy making.

The National Data Office said it plans to continue strengthening its role as a hub for statistical capacity development in the Asia-Pacific region, leveraging its experience in advanced statistical education and international cooperation.