UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Statistical Division

This report collects and reviews the definitions used by countries of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia to monitor poverty and employment according to the Millennium Development Goal 1. It distinguishes the indices on the basis of the threshold used to measure poverty: international or national, absolute or relative, extreme or less severe, based on food intake only or also on non-food needs. It shows how results can be affected by the definition adopted, as well as by disaggregation of data. It also tries to establish a link between the choice of a particular definition and characteristics like the national average income. Finally, it compares these countries in terms of number and level of detail of the indicators reported in official MDG sources. UNECE Statistical Division Indicators for Monitoring MDG 1