The subjects of poverty, inequality, and population are integral to the study of human development. Poverty and taxation, distribution of wealth and deprivation, extent of child labour, and composition of the population are all significant indicators of socio-economic development that demand both rigorous measurement and careful analysis in the assessment of a society's progress. The authors employ measurement of these key indicators to assess:

potential impact of redistributive taxation on poverty;

nexus between poverty and child labour;

distribution of wealth in a society; and

the crucial aspects of age and gender composition of population.

The ability to obtain meaningful answers to these questions is frequently determined by the ability to measure the extent and composition of poverty, inequality, and population. Thus, this volume addresses both the formal elements of measurement as well as applications of these in addressing the substantive elements of development.