Measuring the number of years that an individual is expected to live with a specific
economic status is important for the following reasons: (1) to monitor the achievement
of national and international poverty and mortality reduction targets (eg, the Sustainable
Development Goals); and (2) to draw attention to the proportion of a population spending
considerable periods of life under a defined poverty line. Riumallo-Herl and colleagues1
contribute to this important debate by proposing a measure of poverty-free life expectancy
(PFLE) that combines information on health and economic status of a population.