New publication groups together poverty indicators
Québec, November 10, 2005 – The Institut de la statistique du Québec presents, in collaboration with the ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale. This publication inventories the various indicators that define and measure poverty.
Although the inventory groups together known indicators that have already been the subject of publications, it remains, nonetheless, an invaluable research tool. This gathering together of previously dispersed information will facilitate overall and in-depth analysis of these phenomena and examination of the range of indicators available.
Over 67 indicators and indices have been listed in three chapters: 32 of them are poverty and social exclusion indicators, 29 are related to poverty and social exclusion, and 6 are social development indices.
The inventory has two objectives: first, to cover all aspects of poverty and the various angles from which it can be examined. It also aims at opening new avenues by presenting not only the indicators that have already been calculated for Québec, but also those that are used elsewhere (elsewhere in Canada, Europe, the United States and Australia) and which could be used in future compilations with a view to broadening the range of statistics available.
Among the poverty and social exclusion indicators are various measures of poverty defined as insufficiency of income and its consequences. Also featured in the first chapter are indicators of the gravity and persistence of poverty, indicators related to public transfers such as employment assistance, indicators of inequality, and indices of poverty with regard to living conditions.
The second chapter focuses on indicators of poverty and social exclusion, covering other dimensions of this phenomenon such as wealth, consumption expenditure, work, food, housing, health and education.
Lastly, the third chapter groups together the social development indices the most directly related to the topic of study, including the index of material and social deprivation for which we have data on very small territorial units in Québec.
There is a fact sheet on each indicator that provides the definition, source and periodicity of the data, the territorial units for which the data exists, comments on its advantages and disadvantages, and an example of the findings.
The Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale reflects the current state of knowledge in the field of poverty and social exclusion. Thus, it complies with the spirit of the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion, which seeks to promote research and the production of reliable and objective information on poverty. The inventory is a tool that will make it easier to choose indicators that will make it possible to monitor the evolution of the situation and to evaluate the impact of measures taken, policy statements made, and government programs set up with a view to helping the poorest of the poor.
Used together with its complement, the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec, to be released in the upcoming months, the inventory is an invaluable tool for persons interested in these issues.
Publication
The PDF version is available on the Institut's website. You may reserve a print version using the appropriate order form.
The Institut de la statistique du Québec produces and disseminates relevant, reliable, and timely statistical information on the socioeconomic development of Québec. It is the central authority for the production and dissemination of official statistical information for Québec government departments and agencies. It is also responsible for conducting statistical surveys of general interest.
Sources :
- Information and Documentation Centre (ISQ)
Phone: (418) 691-2401
or 1-800-463-4090 (toll free in Canada and the United States)
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