Poverty Analysis Report shows fall in country’s poverty rate

In the last five years, poverty rate in the country has decreased by four per cent according to the Poverty Analysis Report (PAR) launched yesterday. Today, the country’s poverty rate stands at 8.21 per cent.

The report states that 56,855 people of over 0.7 million live below the poverty line.

The analysis shows that poverty is still a rural phenomenon with poverty rate of about 12 per cent compared to only 0.7 per cent in urban areas. Dagana, Zhemgang, Monggar, Trongsa, and Pema Gatshel have relatively higher rates of poverty. However, Haa, Thimphu and Paro have the least poverty rates.

“Using the World Bank’s cause of basic approach, for 2017, we have come up with poverty line of Nu 2,196 per person per month. So any individual whose consumption is below the poverty threshold of Nu 2196 per month is considered to be poor,” said Cheku Dorji, Chief Statistical Officer, National Statistics Bureau (NSB)

The NSB conducts Poverty Analysis Report (PAR) survey once every five years. In 2012, the country’s poverty rate was 12 per cent.

“In order to understand the main drivers of poverty reduction, we need to conduct a separate poverty assessment, however from our preliminary analyses, it shows that compared to 2012, there is on average an increase in the consumption of non-food such as transportation, clothing and recreation,” added Cheku.

NSB prepared the report in collaboration with the World Bank. The first PAR survey was conducted in 2003.

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