The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), acknowledges the fact that poverty has many faces. These include poor healthcare, lack of income, inferior housing, substandard schools, and unsafe water. To understand poverty better, the MPI measures all of these facets together.  

Photo credit: "Donna Indiana" by Africa

The MPI map to the left represents the index, or score, that each country received from the 2014 Global MPI findings. The index ranges from 0 to 1 with 0 meaning lower poverty (darker purples) and 1 meaning more severe poverty (lighter, brighter purples). Higher MPIs indicate greater poverty.

Click on any of the featured countries to view a popup of the MPI score, predominant dimension, survey name and year, country briefing, dimension percentage breakdown, and a pie chart of all the dimension contributions. Feel free to zoom in and out and pan around the world to explore different areas. 

The three dimensions that make up the Multidimensional Poverty Index are: 1) Health, 2) Education, and 3) Living Standards. The map to the left shows the predominant dimension found in each country.  

The predominant dimension is the dimension with the greatest contribution to the overall poverty index. To be considered predominant, the gap between the two highest contributions should be greater than 5%. If the 5% qualification is not met, the predominant dimension is then considered Balanced.  

Click on any of the featured countries to view a popup of the predominant dimension, country briefing, and a pie chart of all the dimension contributions. Feel free to zoom in and out and pan around the world to explore different areas.

The first dimension we'll explore is the Health dimension. This includes:

• Child Mortality: Deprived if any child has died in the family
• Nutrition: Deprived if any adult or child for whom there is nutritional information is malnourished*

This map shows the percentage contribution of the Health Dimension to the overall poverty index. The lower percentages are shown in darker reds while the higher percentages are shown as brighter, lighter reds.  

Click on any of the featured countries to view a popup of the percentage contribution of the Health Dimension to the overall poverty index, the country briefing, the dimension percentage breakdown, and a pie chart of all the dimension contributions.

*An adult is considered malnourished if his or her BMI is below 18.5 m/kg². Children are considered malnourished if their z-score of weight-for-age is below minus two standard deviations from the median of the reference population.

The second dimension we'll explore is the Education dimension. This includes:

• Years of Schooling: Deprived if no household member has completed five years of schooling
• Child School Attendance: Deprived if any school-aged child is not attending school up to class 8

This map shows the percentage contribution of the Education Dimension to the overall poverty index. The lower percentages are shown in darker blues while the higher percentages are shown as brighter, lighter blues.

Click on any of the featured countries to view a popup of the percentage contribution of the Education Dimension to the overall poverty index, the country briefing, the dimension percentage breakdown, and a pie chart of all the dimension contributions.

The last dimension in the MPI is the Living Standard dimension. This includes:

• Electricity: Deprived if the household has no electricity
• Improved Sanitation: Deprived if the household's sanitation facility is not improved (according to Millennium Development Goal guidelines [MDG]), or it is improved but shared with other households*
• Safe Drinking Water: Deprived if the household does not have access to safe drinking water (according to MDG guidelines) or safe drinking water is more than a 30-minute walk from home, roundtrip**
• Flooring: Deprived if the household has a dirt, sand, or dung floor
• Cooking Fuel: Deprived if the household cooks with dung, wood, or charcoal
• Assets Ownership: Deprived if the household does not own more than one radio, TV, telephone, bike, motorbike, or refrigerator, and does not own a car or truck

This map shows the percentage contribution of the Living Standards Dimension to the overall poverty index. The lower percentages are shown in darker greens while the higher percentages are shown as brighter, lighter greens.

Click on any of the featured countries to view a popup of the percentage contribution of the Living Standards Dimension to the overall poverty index, the country briefing, the dimension percentage breakdown, and a pie chart of all the dimension contributions.

*A household is considered to have access to improved sanitation if it has some type of flush toilet or latrine, or ventilated improved pit or composting toilet, provided that they are not shared.

**A household has access to clean drinking water if the source is any of the following types: piped water, public tap, borehole or pump, protected well, protected spring or rainwater, and it is within a distance of 30 minutes' walk (roundtrip).

Now that we've taken a look at the many dimensions and indicators of global poverty, let's take some time to get to know Luh. She's a mother and farmworker who has less than 5 years of education.

CLICK here to view her stoy. Would Luh be considered poor?

The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative's Multidimensional Poverty Index utilizes indicators that are very much related to the United Nation's 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Scroll down within the site to the left to explore the MDGs and suggestions on how we can end poverty. 

There is no shortage of opportunities to get involved. Either big or small, we can make a difference together.