Data measurement errors can cause an upward bias in unidimensional poverty estimates and thus mislead both conceptual and empirical discussions. This paper expands the analysis to the case of multidimensional poverty. It finds that the dual cut-off strategy used by the Alkire-Foster measure typically attenuates this bias. Empirical evidence from Peru supports this attenuation effect.
In 2010, the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) in collaboration with the United National Development Programme (UNDP) introduced a new multidimensional measure of acute poverty for developing countries, referred to as the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) (Alkire and Santos, 2010). This paper focuses on the new analyses of sub-national decompositions and changes over [...]
More than three decades after Sen’s first formulation of the so-called “capability approach”, practitioners have yet to measure a capability set. This paper explores the valuable insights Kantian philosophy may offer in dealing with this problem.
This paper explores the possibility of defining a non-utilitarian normative standard for assessments of welfare and deprivation.
This paper discusses the construction and analysis of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). It explains how the international MPI, which compares the situation of countries with respect to acute poverty, is calculated using globally comparable data. And it also explains how the MPI can be adapted to better suit national needs and realities.
This paper discusses the construction and analysis of the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI). The IHDI adjusts the Human Development Index (HDI) to account for the inequality of distribution in the dimensions of the HDI (long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living). The global IHDI was first presented in the 2010 [...]
This paper discusses the construction and analysis of the Human Development Index (HDI). Since 1990 the HDI has had three dimensions: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. The indicators used to inform each dimension have, however, changed over time—most recently in the 2010 HDR. The latest method along with changes over [...]
This paper discusses the construction and analysis of the Gender Inequality Index (GII) for producing National Human Development Reports. The GII compares the situation of women and men between countries in the dimensions of labour market participation, empowerment, and reproductive health. The global GII was first presented in the Human Development Report (HDR) 2010, using [...]
This paper demonstrates how multiple testing may be coupled with the Alkire-Foster class of measures to obtain novel insights, not otherwise captured by traditional approaches to multidimensional poverty analysis.
The new paper reiterates the value-added of measures that reflect the joint distribution of disadvantage. It also explains the construction of the 2010 MPI further.