This absurd result occurs since a relative poverty measure is used, rather than an absolute measure (although these measures are not without their own problems).

ECONOMIST: Letters

Another caveat - surveys of expectations do not all, or don't necessarily measure the absolute level of optimism or pessimism, they just measure how much those levels have changed.

BBC: Go Figure: The great business confidence gap

European countries have hesitated for a couple of years about adopting so far-reaching a measure, since it requires absolute trust in the integrity of each other's legal systems.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

Rather than craft a test with a dictated and absolute minimum score, creating a relative measure that allows institutions to compete against each other on a level playing field for funds would have been much smarter and aligned to market realities.

FORBES: New Higher Ed Regulations Leave Everyone Empty