How is it Used?

An MPI can be used to inform policy, leading to more cost-effective social programs that more efficiently target the needs of the poor. The structure of the Alkire Foster methodology has properties that make an MPI particularly useful for transparently informing policy. Among other things, it can be used to:

• Produce official measures of multidimensional poverty
• Compare incidence and intensity of poverty across countries
• Compare subnational groups, such as regions, urban/rural populations, and ethnic groups
• Compare composition of poverty by dimensions and indicators
• Report changes in poverty over time
• As a tool for governance and policy coordination
• Report progress in the Sustainable Development Goals

Learn more in the following video: