Impact of equivalence scales on the spatial distribution of poverty in Cameroon: a dynamic approach

The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of the relative cost of children to adults and of economies of scale in the context of household’s welfare evaluation. Results derived with empirically-estimated scales show that female-headed households are poorer than male-headed households. Poverty is also found to be more prevalent in rural areas, in households whose heads are illiterate, and in households whose heads work in the informal sector. As for poverty dynamics, the results show that poverty decreased in Cameroon between 1996 and 2001. Despite the fact that some results are the same as those derived from the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) scales used by Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics, many stand in stark contrast to these. The results of the present study are used to recommend specific policies in favor of poverty alleviation.