Satellite data are increasingly used to measure developing economies in areas including urban land use, agriculture and the environment

Over the past half-century, global inequality has fallen. However, within countries, inequality has increased.

Evidence from the housing market suggests inequality is being substantially underestimated in Egypt, by about 33%

A new poverty measure reveals that in the past 25 years, global poverty has declined but relative poverty has increased in developing countries

The quality of tax administration effects productivity, particularly that of small firms, therefore lowering tax compliance costs can support growth

As a programme scales, it is important to check that RCT results are replicable and that general equilibrium effects are considered

An RCT conducted in Bangladesh found positive impacts on incomes and calorie consumption; academics and practitioners work together to scale it

Policymakers face challenges when trying to identify the right targets for antipoverty programmes. This column assesses whether the data typically available to policymakers in sub-Saharan Africa are up to the task. Commonly used proxy means tests are found to perform worse than simpler methods in identifying poor households. Moreover, analyses of nutritional status reveal substantial inequality within households, suggesting that household-based measures are not very effective in identifying disadvantaged individuals.

Residents of poor countries are not only ‘consumption poor’, they are also ‘leisure poor’