Perceptions of poverty: Evaluating Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool derived rankings and global development indicators in five African nations

Minjauw, F., Rasheduzzaman, M., Baumgartner, P., Dorward, P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2831-3693, Clarkson, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4342-4773 and Cohen, A. (2024) Perceptions of poverty: Evaluating Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool derived rankings and global development indicators in five African nations. Journal of International Development, 36 (3). pp. 1832-1847. ISSN 0954-1748 doi: 10.1002/jid.3883

Abstract/Summary

This study assessed an array of indicators for rural poverty assessments and evaluated use of the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT) as a proxy for commonly used indicators, such as the Human Development Index, Gross National Income, Global Hunger Index, and the Gender Inequality Index. MPAT data from 5322 rural households across five countries in Africa were analyzed. While MPAT aligned well with development indicators for Kenya, Lesotho, and Tanzania, this was not the case for Eswatini and Zimbabwe. Overall, MPAT-based rankings correlated well with hunger, food security, and gender equality indicators. Our findings highlight the use of MPAT-derived indices as valuable supplements for commonly used development indicators.