Statistics versus livelihoods

Abstract

Recent statistics indicate that poverty in Rwanda decreased|impressively between 2006 and 2014. This seems to confirm|Rwanda's developmental progress. This article however argues for|a more cautious interpretation of household survey data. The|authors contrast macro-level statistical analysis with in-depth field|research on livelihood conditions. Macro-economic numbers|provide interesting information, however differentiated evidence|is required to understand how poverty 'works' in everyday life. On|the basis of the Rwandan case study, the authors conclude that|because of the high political stakes of data collection and analysis,|and given that relations of power influence the production of|knowledge on poverty, cross-checking is crucial.