armutsmaß

Armutsmaß is a German term used to describe the set of indicators that quantify poverty within a population. It is not a single measure but a family of concepts intended to capture the extent, depth and sometimes duration of poverty, using both income-based criteria and multidimensional criteria that reflect living conditions.

In practice, armutsmaß includes relative and absolute standards. Relative measures determine the share of people living below a poverty threshold typically defined as a fraction of the median income, such as 60 percent of the median equivalised income. Absolute measures define poverty against a fixed income or consumption level that is intended to represent a basic standard of living independent of overall income levels. Additional indicators assess the depth and intensity of poverty, for example through the poverty gap and related metrics. Many armutsmaß frameworks also incorporate multidimensional indicators that reflect deprivations in health, education, housing and living standards.

Multidimensional approaches, such as the multidimensional poverty index, are commonly used in conjunction with income-based measures to provide a more comprehensive view of deprivation. The data underlying armutsmaß typically come from household surveys, administrative records, or tax data, and are often harmonized for national policy analysis and international comparisons.

The purpose of an armutsmaß is to describe poverty trends, compare different groups or regions, inform policy design and guide the allocation of resources. Limitations include sensitivity to threshold choices and weighting, data quality and comparability issues, and the challenge of capturing transient or cyclical poverty.