When am I Richer than You? A Methodological Perspective on the Constant Dollar Per-Capita Income Comparison

Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) organized a seminar titled “When am I Richer than You? A Methodological Perspective on the Constant Dollar Per-Capita Income Comparison" on March 30, 2022 in the BIDS Conference Room. Dr. Syed Mainul Ahsan, Professor Emeritus, Concordia University, Canada and Visiting Professor of Health Economics, Dhaka University presented his research at this seminar. The seminar was held in Hybrid Format.

In his research. Professor Ahsan mentioned the current method of measuring gross domestic product or GDP is not 100% accurate. The same information is being published differently due to the base year. The same thing is happening with the per capita income. As a result, the measurement process needs to be reconsidered to get an accurate and realistic picture of GDP and per capita income. Therefore, Professor Ahsan suggested to adopt the PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) method instead of the existing method to identify GDP of the country for a better comparison with other economies.

The seminar was attended by BIDS researchers, academics and media. Dr. Binayak Sen, DG, BIDS chaired the seminar.