The report shows that the MPI rate is higher in the Province 6 and Province 2 where 50 percent people are living in poverty. They have no access to basic facilities like cooking fuel, sanitation, electricity, education and health. This figure is 30 percent in the Province 5 and 15 percent in the Province 3, 1 and 4.

Read the full article here.

The Rising Nepal: A report of Nepal Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has shown that about 28.6 per cent of Nepal’s population is multi-dimensionally poor.  The Nepal MPI survey, the first of its kind conducted in Nepal to calculate the level of poverty dimensions, was unveiled by the National Planning Commission on Wednesday.

This report was prepared by the NPC in cooperation with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.

Read the full article here.

The Nepal Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report showed that about 28.6 per cent of Nepal’s population is multi-dimensionally poor. The MPI was, first of its kind, survey conducted in Nepal to calculate the level of poverty dimensions. The indicators that contribute most to multidimensional poverty in Nepal are under-nutrition and households that lack any members who has completed five years of schooling.

Read full article here.

This is the first time Nepal had used MPI as an official tool to measure national poverty. Until now, Nepal was using income threshold of Rs19,262 per person per year to gauge poverty. This method assumes that a person who is able to earn at least Rs19,262 per year is non-poor, because  the amount is considered adequate to meet basic caloric needs and purchase essential non-food items.

Read the full article here.

America Economía, a magazine on economics in Latin America, has published an article by OPHI Co-Founder John Hammock about the 22 September UNGA Side Event. The op-ed discusses outcomes of the meeting, in particular the agreement on the important role that multidimensional poverty indices (MPIs) must play in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Latin American countries have had a leadership role in developing and promoting the use of MPIs, and several of them were represented at the meeting, which included statements from President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, President Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras, President Luis Guillermo Solís of Costa Rica, and Minister Gabriela Rosero of Ecuador.

Read the full article (in Spanish) here.

The Cuban newspaper Granma has published an article on the Multidimensional Poverty Index Workshop carried out in Havana, Cuba, on September 29 and 30. Sabina Alkire and John Hammock, from OPHI, participated in the workshop.

Read the full artice (In Spanish)

OPHI Research Associate James Foster has been interviewed by Chilean newspaper Pulso following his attendance at a seminar on ‘Multidimensional Poverty: Incorporating Environments and Networks’ hosted by the Ministry of Social Development.

In the article Foster talks about the benefits of developing regional and country specific MPIs, which can be tailored to fit differing contexts and priorities. In the case of Chile, he discusses how the inclusion of a new dimension, environment and network, adds an interesting and important aspect to the measurement. Data obtained through questions in the National Socioeconomic Characterisation Survey (CASEN) will be used by the Ministry to inform policy which can help to tackle poverty in the country.

He also highlights how the MPI and income poverty measures work complementarily to form a detailed picture of poverty, commenting that this approach can ‘analyse what is really going on to people in their lives’ allowing governments to ‘do something about it’.

You can read the full article in Spanish here.

Pakistani newspaper The Daily Times has reported on a speech given by the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Ahsan Iqbal, on the government’s inclusive growth strategy ‘Vision 2025’, which seeks to see Pakistan emerge as one of the top 25 world economies by 2025.

In the speech Prof. Iqbal highlighted the role of Pakistan’s recently launched Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in helping to reduce inequalities. In recognition that income inequality is only one aspect of inequality in Pakistan, he said the MPI will help the government to grasp the challenges faced in other areas such as gender, region and digital divides.

You can read the full article here.

According to a new analysis from the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative at the University of Oxford, 30 of 35 sub-Saharan African countries analysed for changes to poverty levels over time reduced multidimensional poverty significantly read more

This is at the geeky, number-crunching end of my spectrum, but I think it’s worth a look (and anyway, they asked nicely). The 2016 Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index was published yesterday. It now covers 102 countries in total, including 75 per cent of the world’s population, or 5.2 billion people. Of this proportion, 30 per cent of people (1.6 billion) are identified as multidimensionally poor read more