In this paper Wolf Scott presents some of his and the Institute's reflections concerning concepts and measurement of poverty. The author presents empirical data showing the arbitrary nature of poverty lines and the imprecise and relative nature of the concept itself. He makes several suggestions on how data on poverty could be improved. Moreover, he shows that our thinking about poverty and how to measure it has progressed very little, is at all, since the latter part of the XIX Century. The Institute is focusing its research around the themes of livelihood, participation and development policy. This implies that development statistics have to be improved and the Institute is continuing research efforts with this objective.