SUVA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's national poverty rate for 2019-20 is estimated at 24.1 percent, according to the World Bank reports.
According to Fijivillage news website on Monday, this change affects consumption-based poverty estimates based on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey.
The poverty rate in Fiji stood at 29.9 percent previously.
The World Bank said the household consumption estimates in Fiji's 2019-2020 Household Income and Expenditure Survey have been updated to account for revised estimates on spending on non-food items, such as utilities, communications, domestic services and education.
It said the discrepancy in the coding was identified by the World Bank's Poverty and Equity Global Practice Team during a cross-check review exercise to ensure Fiji's Survey remains in line with international practices.
The World Bank regrets that this error was not identified earlier.
The World Bank said it should be noted that the 2019-20 poverty estimates are based on consumption per capita and cannot be compared directly to 2013-14 poverty measures which were based on income. ■
