Santos, Maria EmmaSantos, Georgina2013-08-262013-08-262013http://hdl.handle.net/10625/51550Pre-print versionThis chapter examines the motivation for the emergence of composite indices of development and the main grounds on which they have been criticized. A composite index is a function of variables and weights that maps attainments in a variety of attributes into a single real number. While portfolios of development indicators are informative and necessary, there is also a need for a summary measure that combines these indicators into a single number. This approach has given rise to the construction of composite indices of development.Text1 digital file (48 p.)Application/pdfenHUMAN DEVELOPMENTPOVERTY MEASUREMENTINDICATORSINDICESDEVELOPMENT INDICATORSGENDER EQUALITYDEVELOPMENT THEORYGLOBAL SOUTHBook Chapter