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UNITEDNATIONS

Multidimensionalpoverty:

ESCWA

anunaccomplishedmission

inseveralArabcountries

E/ESCWA/CL2.GPID/2025/Policybrief.5

?RealPeopleStudio/

Keymessages

Multidimensionalpovertyremainscriticallyhigh

intheleastdevelopedcountriesoftheComoros,

MauritaniaandYemen,withsignificantreduction

observedonlyintheComorosoverthelastdecade.Robustdomesticeffortsandsustainedinternationalassistanceareimperativeinallthreecountriestoensureminimumstandardsforsanitation,clean

drinkingwaterandenergyaccess.

Multidimensionalpovertyinthemiddle-income

countriesofEgypt,JordanandTunisiahasshownonlymarginalreductionorstagnationoverthepastdecade.Significantgapspersistinthequalityandinclusivity

ofeducation,andinaccesstodecenthousingand

essentialpublicservices.InEgypt,strengtheninghealthandnutritionoutcomesrepresentsanothercriticalareaofconcern.

?akram.alrasny/

2

MultidimensionalpovertyinEgypt,JordanandTunisia

Anexaminationofmultidimensionalpovertytrendsin

Egypt,JordanandTunisia,threeArabmiddle-income

countries(MICs)withrecentsurveys,revealsslowandinconsistentprogress.

1

Fromtheearly2010stothe

early2020s,TunisiaandEgyptexperiencedamodest

decreaseinmultidimensionalpoverty,whileJordan

witnessedstagnation.Disaggregatedanalysisshowsthatmultidimensionalpovertyremainsmoreprevalentinruralareasthaninurbanareas.

BasedontheArabMultidimensionalPovertyIndex

(MPI)framework,educationremainsthemaindriverof

multidimensionalpovertyacrossthethreeMICs.Otherfactorssignificantlyinfluencepovertyaswell,thoughtheirimpact

variesbycountry.InTunisia,assets,servicesandhousinghaveacomparableimpact,suggestingtheneedforanintegrated

policyresponse.InEgypt,accesstobasicservicesandnutritionareparticularlycritical,requiringtargetedinvestmentsto

reducedeprivations.InJordan,educationistheleadingdriverofmultidimensionalpoverty,followedbyhousingandassets.

Figure1.Multidimensionalpovertyheadcountratioandintensity,andtheArabMPIovertime,selectedMICs

Multidimensionalpovertyheadcount

andintensity(percentage)

MultidimensionalPovertyIndex

35.0

30.0

25.4

25.0

20.0

11.211.2

201120232011202320142022

JordanTunisiaEgypt

Multidimensionalpovertyheadcountratio(H)Intensity(A)MultidimensionalPovertyIndex(MPI)

0.250.200.150.100.05

0.00

28.726.3

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0

29.4

26.9

18.2

21.8

28.1

21.6

17.5

Source:Authors’calculations.

Note:FordetailsonthemethodologyseeUnitedNationsEconomicandSocialCommissionforWesternAsia(ESCWA),

SecondArabMultidimensionalPovertyReport

,May2023.

3

Figure2.ContributionofdimensionstotheArabMPI,latestsurveyyear(Percentage)

Contributionofdimensions

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

JordanTunisiaEgypt

HealthandnutritionEducationHousingServicesAssets

Source:Authors’calculations.

MultidimensionalpovertyintheComoros,MauritaniaandYemen

Figure3.Multidimensionalpovertyheadcountratioandintensity,andtheglobalMPIovertime,selectedLDCs

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0

Multidimensionalpovertyheadcount

ratioandintensity(percentage)

34.6

49.3

43.8

19.4

62.7

56.8

57.4

55.9

38.1

50.5

37.4

50.2

MultidimensionalPovertyIndex

0.400.350.300.250.200.150.100.05

0.00

20112021

Mauritania

2013

2023

20122022

Yemen

Comoros

Multidimensionalpovertyheadcountratio(H)Intensity(A)MultidimensionalPovertyIndex(MPI)

Source:Multidimensionalpovertydataareretrievedfromthe

2024GlobalMPIdatabase

.

4

ThethreeArabLeastDevelopedCountries(LDCs)with

recentdatacontinuetofacehighlevelsofmultidimensionalpoverty,despitesomeprogressoverthepastdecade.

2

TheComorosstandsoutwithsubstantialimprovements,whileMauritaniaandYemenhavewitnessedonlymarginalprogressorstagnation.

IntheComoros,themultidimensionalpovertyheadcountratiosignificantlydecreasedbyover15percentagepoints,from

34.6percentin2012to19.4percentin2022.Thisdeclinewasaccompaniedbyadecreaseintheintensityofmultidimensionalpoverty,indicatingthatfewerpeoplearepoorandthosewhoremainpoorexperiencelessseveredeprivations.

Mauritaniastillexperienceswidespreadmultidimensionalpoverty,with57.4percentofthepopulationlivinginsuchconditionsin2021,amodestdeclinefrom62.7percentin

2011.Overthisperiod,povertyintensityremainedaround

56percent,indicatinglittleprogressinreducingtheseverityofdeprivations.

Yemenhasshownvirtuallynoprogress,withthe

multidimensionalpovertyheadcountfluctuatingaround

37–38percentbetween2013and2023,andpoverty

intensityremainingconsistentlyabove50percent.TheprogressofYemenhasbeensignificantlyhamperedbyitsprolongedconflict,whichbeganin2015andhasledtoadevastatinghumanitarianemergency,displacingfamilies,disruptingfoodsystemsanddestroyinginfrastructure.Thecrisiswasfurthercompoundedbyeconomicdecline,climate-relatedshocksandlimitedhumanitarianaccess.By2025,morethan19.5millionYemenipeoplerequire

humanitarianaid,with17.1million,roughlyhalfofthepopulation,facingacutefoodinsecurity.

3

AmongthethreeLDCs,Mauritaniastandsout.ItsMPI

headcountratioishigherthanexpectedgivenitsGDPper

capita,indicatingsignificantmultidimensionalpoverty

comparedtoothercountrieswithsimilarstandardsof

living.Thissuggestsaweakconversionofnationalincomeintotangibleimprovementsinwell-beingandbasicservicesforthepooresthouseholds.Incontrast,Yemenandthe

Comorosalignmorecloselywiththeglobaltrend,showingexpectedlevelsofmultidimensionalpovertyrelativetotheirGDPpercapita.

Figure4.MultidimensionalpovertyheadcountratiorelativetoGDPpercapita,latestsurveyyear

Multidimensionalpovertyheadcountratio

(percentage)

100

90

80

70

60

Lowincome

50

40

30Yemen

20Comoros10

0

0200040006000800010000120001400016000

GDPpercapita(2017PPP$)

Lower-middleincomeUpper-middleincomeHighincome

R=0.5281

Mauritania

Source:Multidimensionalpovertydataareretrievedfromthe

2024GlobalMPIdatabase

.

Note:GDPestimatesarederivedfromthe

WorldEconomicForecastingModel

(WEFM)developedbytheUnitedNationsDepartmentofEconomicandSocialAffairs(UNDESA)forthepurposeofgeneratingconsistentglobaleconomicforecasts.

5

AnanalysisofthedriversofmultidimensionalpovertyinthethreeLDCsrevealsthatlivingstandardsandeducationarethemaincontributors.Specifically,deprivationin

schoolattendanceistheprimarycontributortotheMPIinMauritania,whilenutritiondeprivationiscriticalintheComorosandYemen.

Overthepastdecade,themostnotableimprovements

acrossthethreecountrieswereinsanitation,accessto

drinkingwaterandelectricity,particularlyinruralareas,

helpingtonarrowurban-ruraldisparities.Education

indicatorsalsogenerallyimproved,especiallyinruralareas.

NutritiondeprivationsworsenedinMauritaniaandYemen,particularlyinruralareas,where41percentand51percentofthepopulation,respectively,faceddeprivationinthe

mostrecentsurveys.Instarkcontrast,theComorosachievednotableprogress,especiallyinitsruralareas,withnutritiondeprivationdecliningatanannualrateof1.1percentagepoints.

Childmortalitydeprivationssawimprovementsacross

bothruralandurbanareasinmostcountries.Anotable

exceptionwasruralYemen,whereitincreasedslightlyfrom5.80percentto5.93percentoverthedecade.Conversely,

Mauritaniademonstratedsignificantprogress,withruralchildmortalitydecliningfrom9.95percentin2011to

7.34percentin2021.

Educationindicators,includingschoolattendanceand

attainment,generallyprogressedacrossallcountries

exceptforMauritaniawhereschoolattendanceinrural

areasregressedsignificantlyin2021,with63.1percent

oftheruralpopulationdeprived,reversingprevious

improvements.Attendancealsowitnessedincreased

deprivationinurbanareas,reaching33.7percent,andyearsofschoolingworsenedinruralareas,affecting64.4percentofthepopulation.

Improvementsinlivingconditionswerewidespread.

Deprivationsinsanitationnotablyimprovedacross

allcountriesandareas,withtheComorosachieving

exceptionalgains,resultinginsimilarruralandurban

deprivationlevels.Deprivationsinaccesstodrinking

waterandelectricitywerealsoreducedinmostsettings,

thoughruralYemenwitnessedadeclineinboth.However,

deprivationinassetssharplydeterioratedinYemen,asa

resultofthedeepeningeconomicandhumanitariancrisis.IntheComoros,deprivationsinhousingconditionsworseneddespitebroaderimprovementsinotherlivingstandards.

?Alexeiy/

Policyrecommendations

1

Giventhemodestprogressinpovertyalleviation

acrossthesixArabMICsandLDCswithrecentdata,policymakersmusttacklebothnewandexisting

challengesthroughpro-poorsocialandeconomic

policies.Concurrently,itiscrucialtostrengthendatacollectionmechanisms,ensuringtheproduction

ofdisaggregatedandtimelydataforeffectivemonitoringofmultidimensionalpoverty.

3

InEgypt,JordanandTunisia,alleviatingmultidimensionalpovertyrequiresbolddomesticeconomicreforms.

Duetothesignificantcontributionofeducationinall

threecountries,expandingaccesstoqualityhigher

educationisessential.Greaterfocusisneededon

theinclusiveness,resilienceandqualityofsecondary

andhighereducation.Resourcesshouldbeallocated

toimprovingfacilitiesinunderprivilegedandrural

areas,prioritizingtheneedsofgirlsanddisadvantagedsocioeconomicgroups.Thiswillfacilitatesuccessful

school-to-worktransitionformarginalizedyouth.

Investingininformationandcommunicationstechnologyinfrastructure,broaderaccesstodigitalservicesand

digitalliteracyamongdisadvantagedgroupsisalsocrucialtoimproveeducationaccessandquality.

2

Recentyearshavedemonstratedtheneedto

strengthenhealthsystemsinallsixcountriestomeetanticipateddemandsandrespondtonew

crises.ParticularlyinthethreeLDCs,maternalandchildhealthshouldbeprioritized,andinvestmentcommitmentsforimprovingdrinkingwater,

sanitation,andadequatefoodsupplymustbesafeguarded.

4

Households’materialdeprivationsandaccessto

servicesarekeydriversofmultidimensionalpoverty,particularlyinJordanandEgypt.Thesechallenges

shouldbeaddressedprimarilybypromotinguniversalbasiclivelihood.Governmentsshouldexpandsocialprotectioneligibilityandsocialinsuranceenrolment,ensureadequatebenefits,andremedyanygapsin

coverage.

7

5

IntheComoros,MauritaniaandYemen,ensuringatleastminimalstandardsofaccesstosanitation,cleandrinkingwaterandenergyisimperative.Domesticeffortsshouldalsoaimtoempowercitizens’mechanismsforcoping

withprecariouseconomicconditionsbyexpandingaccesstodigitalbankingandmicro-loans.

6

InallthreeArabLDCs,internationalcooperationshouldberevitalizedtoovercomedevelopmenthurdlesandunlocknecessaryresourcesforgenuineprogress.

InYemenespecially,significantexternalsupportisrequired,particu