furthermore of the billion who lifted themselves out of extreme poverty billion were from asia and the pacific countries of the population living in extreme poverty such as pakistan from per cent to per cent cambodia from per cent to per cent azerbaijan from per cent to only per cent and thailand from per cent to only per cent have all reported significant decreases in the percentage of their populations living in extreme poverty although international poverty lines exist there are no agreed international standards on how to measure poverty at the national level as poverty measurement is essentially about wealth distribution the more disaggregated are the data available about individuals and small groups within a population the greater will be the value of the information that can be derived from analyses of poverty such measurements and policy measures are of relevance in asia and the pacific especially in view of the steadily falling overall poverty rates now occurring despite the existence of persistent pockets of poverty indeed to that end those indian states already having statistical capability conduct statelevel censuses on those living below the poverty line