Multidimensional Poverty in Egypt: An In-depth Analysis

This report analysing multidimensional poverty in Egypt is published by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The report was written in partnership with the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation; the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS); the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

The first national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for Egypt was developed with a view to setting a baseline and becoming an official measure of multidimensional poverty in the country. This report explores the national multidimensional poverty profile of Egypt, constructed using the Household Income, Expenditure, and Consumption Survey (HIECS) for the period 2021/2022.

The national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) analyses the way that poverty affects the population across 19 weighted indicators grouped within seven dimensions: education, health, housing, services, employment, social protection, and food security.

The report lays out the major challenges and priorities for policy action and discusses the effectiveness of social welfare programmes and macroeconomic policies in alleviating multidimensional poverty. The national MPI is aligned with ongoing initiatives such as Vision 2030 for Egypt, Agenda 2030 of the SDGs, Hayah Kareema (or decent life) programme and Egypt's Human Rights Strategy.  The national MPI helps to highlight demographic differences, and plays a role in exposing differences between female- and male-headed households as well as gender disparities in deprivation profiles.

For more information visit the ESCWA website. The report and a related policy brief is available in English and Arabic.

Citation: Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) et al. (2024). Multidimensional poverty in Egypt: An in-depth analysis. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Ministry of Social Solidarity, Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). E/ESCWA/CL2.GPID/2023/TP.8/Rev.1. Beirut.

Additional publications:
Arabic version of the full report: Multidimensional poverty in Egypt: An in-depth analysis 
Policy brief summarising the report in English
Policy brief summarising the report in Arabic