reddytoread

On April 15th, 2016, we will  hold an open public event in New York to launch the Global Consumption and Income Project, making the unprecedented data on material living standards that we have collected for the first time freely available to all users.  The datasets we have constructed describe the levels of income and consumption of the populations of more than 160 countries over more than fifty years (1960 to the present). A recording of the event, featuring the project team and distinguished respondents, will be available subsequently.

The data we will release on the day of the launch, through a new website, will be an initial version that we will expand upon, adding additional data and software, over time.  Our intent is that the data we provide should be a global public good, useful for analysis and advocacy related to living standards, inclusivity of growth and development, poverty and inequality, in countries, major regions and the world as a whole. We aim that it should satisfy a high standard of transparency and that it will evolve over time , in part through participation of users.  We began the project almost eight years ago, and have developed it on a shoe string. We sincerely welcome and solicit your  use of the data, and interest and involvement in the project.