OPHI Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative Department of International Development Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford Multidimensional Measurement of Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa 16 June 2008

Dataset Demography and Health Surveys (DHS) data on 14 African countries : Benin(2002), Burkina (2003), Cameroun (2004), Ghana (2003), Guinea (2005), Kenya (2003), Madagascar (2003), Malawi (2004), Mali (2006), Niger (2006), Nigeria (2003), Senegal (2005), Tanzania (2004), Uganda (2006). The unit of analysis is the woman. DHS contain a lot of information on the standard and quality of living, but no real information on income or expenditures.

Dimensions, Indicators & Cutoffs (4 dimensions, 11 Indicators) DimensionPoverty Threshold 1. ASSET i) Electricity Yes/no ii) Having radio and/or TVIf does not have at least a radio iii) Refrigerator Yes/no iv) Vehicle If does not have at least a motorcycle v) Floor Natural or rudimentary vi) Phone Yes/no vii) Drinking water MDG definitions viii) Sanitation MDG definitions 2. SCHOOLINGIf highest education level in family < 3th grade 3. BODY MASS INDEXIf BMI < 18.5 (WHO standard) 4. EMPOWERMENTIf does not have one’s say on visits to family and relatives

Table 1: Incidence of Deprivation in five African Countries Deprivati on BeninBurkinaCameroonGhanaGuinea Weigh t # of people % of pop # of people % of pop # of people % of pop # of people % of pop # of people % of pop Asset1 Electricity Media Refrigerat or Vehicle Floor Phone Water Sanitation BMI Empower Schooling

Figure 1: Dimensions deprivations in five countries

Cutoff k Number of people Headcount ratio H Adjust ratio M 0 Adjust ratio M 1 Average number of Deprivations of the poor Table 2: Multidimensional poverty measures as cutoff k is varied, in Benin

Country H MD M0M0 National poverty ratio HDI (2005,UNDP) ValueRankValueRankValueRankValueRank Ghana Cameroon Benin Guinea Burkina Table 3: Countries ranking according several well-being measures, with k = 2