A fuzzy approach to the small area estimation of poverty in Italy

Urban poverty, especially in metropolitan areas, represents one of the most significant problems to both developed and developing countries. The aim of the present work is to identify territorial zones characterized by the presence of such a phenomenon. In particular, data gathered from the EU-SILC study for 2006 has been examined and elaborated in order to obtain estimates of poverty at a provincial level through the use of statistical methods such as Small Area Estimation and Total Fuzzy and Relative. The results obtained from this approach have been improved using SaTScan methodology for the graphical identification of homogeneous areas of poverty. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.