Following our earlier multidimensional poverty map based on 2013 data, we present here an update based on Quality of Life Survey IV (2015/16) survey data. Poverty is often measured in terms of income. For example, many studies make use of a ‘poverty line’ in which those who earn less than $2.00 a day are defined as poor. An alternative approach is to recognise that poverty is multidimensional and can be measured across a variety of indicators such as housing, water, sanitation, energy, ownership of communication assets, food, employment and education. In terms of this approach, poverty is measured not according to an income threshold but according to the number of indicators in which a household* is deprived (known as the ‘headcount ratio’).
In addition to measuring the proportion of households that are multidimensionally poor we can also measure the intensity of their poverty. Some households are deprived in terms of more indicators than others. The greater the number of dimensions in which they are deprived, the greater the intensity of their poverty.
There is a dummy example at the end of this write-up to illustrate how the calculations are made. ….more