An individual-based index of multidimensional poverty for low- and middle-income countries

in: Journal of Human Development and Capabilities 22 (4), 682-705

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2021.1964450
Open access

This paper proposes a new index of multidimensional poverty, called the Global Correlation Sensitive Poverty Index (G-CSPI), which has three interesting features. First, it encompasses three dimensions: decent work, education and access to drinking water and sanitation, which largely overlap with the list of ideal dimensions obtained by expanding the Constitutional Approach, although it does not include direct health measures. Second, it uses a distribution-sensitive measure that can also be decomposed into the three poverty components: incidence, intensity and inequality. Finally, the G-CSPI is an individual-based, rather than household-based index, although restricted to individuals 15–65 years of age. It is thus able to detect intra-household differences in poverty among members within that age-range. To have a full picture of multidimensional poverty at the country level, it should then be complemented by specific poverty measures for children and the elderly. Being centred on individuals and sensitive to inequality, the G-CSPI is coherent with the overarching principle of the 2030 Agenda “leaving no one behind”. Using recent estimates of the G-CSPI for 104 countries, the empirical analysis reveals that the index is highly robust to different specifications, and that, as expected, fragile countries experience the largest levels of poverty.

About the authors

Burchi, Francesco

Development Economy

Rippin, Nicole

Economist

Montenegro, Claudio

Economist

Further experts

Balasubramanian, Pooja

Social Economics 

Brüntrup, Michael

Agricultural Economy 

Christ, Simone

Social Anthropology 

Dick, Eva

Sociologist and Spatial Planner 

Dippel, Beatrice

Comparatist 

Faus Onbargi, Alexia

Political Science 

Friesen, Ina

Political Science 

Herrfahrdt-Pähle, Elke

Economist 

Jaji, Rose

Anthropology 

Malerba, Daniele

Economy 

Mchowa, Chifundo

Development Economics 

Mudimu, George Tonderai

Agricultural policy economics 

Roll, Michael

Sociology 

Sowa, Alina

Economics 

Stöcker, Alexander

Economics 

Zintl, Tina

Political Scientist