UNDP Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is a vital, non-monetary measure of acute poverty released annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) . Unlike traditional income-based measures, the MPI captures the multiple, overlapping deprivations that people living in poverty face simultaneously in health, education, and living standards. The MPI is calculated by combining two key factors: Incidence ( $H$ ): The proportion of the population who are multidimensionally poor (the headcount ratio). Intensity ( $A$ ): The average proportion of weighted deprivations suffered by poor people. The MPI value is their product: $\text{MPI} = H \times A$ . A person is considered multidimensionally poor if they are deprived in at least one-third (33.3%) of the weighted indicators. Dimensions and Indicators of the Global MPI The index is structured around t...
The Intensity of Poverty: Unpacking Deprivations by Dimension in the UNDP Global MPI The Intensity of Poverty (denoted by ' $A$ ') is a crucial component of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) . It measures the average proportion of weighted deprivations a person suffers, specifically among those who are identified as multidimensionally poor. A key strength of the MPI is its decomposability , which allows analysts to "unstack" the overall poverty measure and the Intensity of Poverty by sub-domain. This provides a high-resolution view of which deprivations are the most common and severe among the poor. Decomposing the Intensity of Poverty by Dimension The Intensity of Poverty is derived from the average deprivation score of the poor population. Since the MPI is structured around three equally weighted dimensions—Health, Education, and Standard of Livi...