Bringing together voices from data providers, international agencies, academia and subject experts, the Special Issue presents insights on nine dimensions of human development, including topics like environmental issues, voice and agency, and social connectedness.

Multidimensional Poverty Indices (MPIs) are based on household survey data which provide information on the multiple deprivations experienced by households and individuals.

Unfortunately, gaps in household survey data remain a major constraint for MPI construction. Among other issues, key indicators that capture the breadth and depth of deprivations experienced by children are often missing.

Employment stands as an intrinsic element of wellbeing, requiring little justification. Its significance lies in shaping various crucial facets of individuals’ lives and those of their families, both directly and indirectly. Most importantly, work serves as the primary means through which households secure a livelihood, providing income to meet their present and future needs, whether basic or non-basic.

This article briefly reviews and analyses the indicators and survey questions commonly used to measure individuals’ voice and agency in the development field and proposes a small set of questions to include in a multidimensional poverty survey questionnaire. This review leaves out scales and measures proposed in the psychological literature that have never been implemented in large scale household surveys.

Social connectedness includes the absence of not only loneliness and isolation but also factors including shame and stigma. Today, there is growing recognition that this concept is an important basis for human flourishing, and that it is deeply interlinked with other aspects of multidimensional poverty, such as living standards and health.