A commonly used international indicator of wealth is the per capita
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country. When looking at
Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and India, which all have a GDP per capita in
a similar range from US$ 2,190 – 2,573 (Source: World Bank 2006),
one finds very different levels of child poverty. In Uzbekistan, Viet
Nam, and India, 2%, 15%,
and 58% of children
experience 2 or more
severe deprivations,
respectively, and hence are
considered poor. These
differences emphasize the
importance of looking
beyond GDP and other
such economic measures
of poverty. Although these
measures are important,
they alone do not
adequately capture the
number of children
experiencing severe
deprivations of basic
needs.