A Simple Poverty Scorecard for Sierra Leone

This study uses Sierra Leone’s 2003/4 Integrated Household Survey to construct an easyto- use scorecard that estimates the likelihood that a household has expenditure below a given poverty line. The scorecard uses ten simple indicators that field agents can quickly collect and verify. Poverty scores can be computed on paper in the field in five to ten minutes. The scorecard’s accuracy and precision are reported for a range of poverty lines. The poverty scorecard is a practical way for pro-poor programs in Sierra Leone to estimate poverty rates, track changes in poverty rates over time, and target services.

[Author's abstract]