An assessment on poverty measurements and measurement of income poverty in Turkey and selected OECD countries

In this thesis study, the poverty situation between choosen OECD countries and Turkey is examined from a comparative perspective. Poverty levels in different countries are analyzed by focusing on basic issues such as the definition of poverty, measurement methods and factors which affect poverty. First, the concept and definition of poverty and its scope are discussed. It is stated that poverty, which is a common problem of states and nations in the period from the past to the present, is not only limited to lack of income, but also a phenomenon that includes many dimensions such as education, health, housing, nutrition. In this study, different methodologies that are used in poverty measurement are examined in detailed way. In addition to traditional approaches based on absolute poverty, income threshold and poverty line, one-dimensional and multidimensional poverty measurement methods such as relative poverty measurement are considered. The approaches of institutions such as the United Nations (UN), the World Bank (WB), the American and African Development Banks, the International labour organization, IMF, Eurostat and OECD which measure poverty according to the phenomenon that constantly differs in the world, are included. In this thesis study, poverty levels in OECD countries and Turkey are compared. This comparative analysis attempts to describe the differences and similarities between the countries and provides a comparative analysis of poverty between five different OECD countries and Turkey, including Poland, Finland, Greece, Italy and Sweden. Criteria such as per capita income, living standards and geographical location were taken into account in the selection of countries. For this purpose, the income-based relative poverty measurement method applied by the OECD, TUIK and multidimensional poverty measurement data applied by the World Bank will be used and the poverty values in these countries will be compared with Turkey. With these analyses, it is aimed to understand the complex nature of poverty, the impact of different measurement methods on poverty rankings, to provide information to policy makers and to provide basic comparable data to develop sustainable economical and political solutions. Keywords: Poverty, Poverty Measurement Methods, OECD, TUIK, World Bank