> i see your point, miles. i'm looking for something, though, that
> provides a reasonable general measure of poverty on a global level and
> that is reasonably easily communicated to, say, students. this seems to
> be pretty much it, but i'm happy to take alternative suggestions.
Here are some facts for India. Things are even better in East and South East Asia.
1. India's National Sample Surveys show that the population below the poverty line has fallen from 36% to 27% of the total population in the previous decade. Poverty is defined in terms of consumption norms (I think calory intake per day of less than 2200 per person is the benchmark.) So rise or fall in prices is not relevant. Obviously the yardsticks used to define poverty will determine the conclusion you will reach.
2. Average life expectancy has gone up from 30 years in 1947 to 63 in 2000. So everyone is better off by that yardstick.
3. There were 300 million CTV viewers in India in 2000. TV was almost unknown 35 years ago. (Only Delhi had B&W TV.) By 2020 India will have at least 500 million CTV viewers. Indian TV industry produced and sold 8 million CTVs in 2003. Cable TV viewers were 150 million in 2000.
4. There were only 86,000 telephones in 1947. Now there are 75 million in 2003. By 2010 India will have 150-200 million telephones.
Ulhas