Estimating Equivalence Scale for Iranian Rural Household

Abstract

Equivalence scale is an important concept in household welfare debates wich plays an important role in the measurement of poverty and inequality. Equivalence scale is an index that converts household's expenditures into comparable values. In this research, equivalence scale in terms of the relative cost of a child was estimated using Price scaling with a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System. The estimation method is nonlinear seemingly unrelated regressions and the estimation period is 2008-2012. Results indicate that one child costs about 15 percent of an adult in rural households and the quadratic expenditure effects is highly significant. It is concluded that the general equivalence scale, varies with price. Household's equivalence scales with different demographic characteristics is used to calculate equivalent income in this period in order to compare welfare, poverty and income inequality across rural households.

Keywords

• quadratic almost ideal demand system
• household welfare
• relative cost of a child
• non-linear seemingly unrelated regressions