The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) together with the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) recently released the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2020. The index is derived from a study of poverty trends in 75 countries. The focus is primarily on the number of people living in multidimensional poverty and the factors contributing to this state.
Global Scenario of Multidimensional Poverty
According to the report, around 1.3 billion people worldwide are currently living in multidimensional poverty. This means that these individuals are deprived in at least five out of ten indicators used to measure health, education, and living standards. These indicators form the basis of the global MPI.
An alarming aspect of this poverty is its disproportionate impact on children; half of the multidimensionally poor individuals are underage. Furthermore, seventy-five countries have made significant strides in reducing multidimensional poverty between 2000 and 2019. However, a whopping 84.3% of the multidimensionally poor population resides in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Interestingly, 67% live in middle-income countries.
India’s Progress against Multidimensional Poverty
The report lauded India for lifting as many as 270 million people out of multidimensional poverty between 2005-06 and 2015-16. This represents a significant advancement in the general standard of living.
Improvements across Neighboring Countries
China and Bangladesh also made significant progress in battling multidimensional poverty. Through concerted efforts, China managed to uplift 70 million people over a span of four years from 2010-2014. Meanwhile, Bangladesh reduced its number of multidimensionally poor individuals by 19 million between 2014 and 2019.
Impact of Covid-19 on Multidimensional Poverty
While progress has been made, the current Covid-19 pandemic casts a dark shadow on future development. The study predicts that poverty levels will be setback by an average of 3 to 10 years due to the ongoing crisis.
Multidimensional Poverty and Sustainable Development Goals
The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index aligns with the aim of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is to achieve ‘zero poverty by 2030.’ This index provides crucial data for measuring and monitoring this progress.
Understanding the Multidimensional Poverty Index
Launched in 2010 by the UNDP and OPHI, the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) introduces the concept that poverty is multidimensional and not solely dependent on income. It takes into account a range of basic needs such as education and health. The MPI measures both the proportion of poor people and the average number of deprivations each person experiences simultaneously. The MPI uses three dimensions and ten indicators taking into account aspects of Education (Years of schooling and child enrollment), Health (Child mortality and nutrition), and Standard of living (Electricity, flooring, drinking water, sanitation, cooking fuel and assets).
Way Forward
Understanding the level and composition of poverty is crucial to pin-pointing how and where it manifests. By doing so, nations can take action in solidarity with the poor in order to build better societies. Yet, the report also cautions that progress is at risk due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, stakeholders need to look beyond income to tackle poverty in its various forms. There is, hence, a pressing need for action to address the rise of under-nutrition and early school drop-outs.
