Global poverty numbers just got a new, standardized floor.

The World Bank has set a new standard for measuring poverty. It suggests using $0.25 per day as the lowest income level to count when comparing poverty across countries. This helps make poverty data more consistent over time and between nations.

For decades, different countries and researchers used different methods to decide the lowest income level for poverty calculations. This made comparing poverty rates difficult. This new standard means that when organizations like the World Bank report on global poverty, they are using the same basic measurement. It will make it easier to track progress or lack thereof in reducing extreme poverty worldwide.