Multidimensional Poverty Measurement in Selected Regions of Mazar-e-Sharif City, Afghanistan
Author (s) : Najibullah Arshad1; Ali Reza Najafi2; Ahsanullah Barakzai3
; Abdulrahim Mohammadi4
Institution : Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran Iran, Kabul University, Afghanistan
Category : Article, IJMMU
Topics : Deprivation; Multidimensional Poverty; Alkire-Foster Approach; Mazar-e-Sharif City;
Afghanistan.
A one-dimensional perspective on the issue of poverty is considered as a prominent factor contributing to the ineffectiveness of programs aimed at reducing poverty. In this manner, poverty is not merely a result of insufficient income or financial resources; rather, it stems from the inability of individuals in poverty to escape the cycle of deprivation. This research uses the Alkire-Foster framework to measure the multidimensional poverty in selected regions of Mazar-e-Sharif city. Data were collected via a questionnaire distributed to 385 households residing in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th, and 10th regions of Mazar-e-Sharif city. The results reveal that, based on the poverty threshold of 33%, households possess significant poverty in the dimensions of education (47.2%) and housing (41.8%). In contrast, the least deprivation was observed in the dimensions of living standards (17.3%), health (25.23%), and employment (29.95%). Furthermore, the nature of poverty varies significantly across the chosen regions. For example, the 2nd region has faced greater deprivation in terms of housing and living standards, while the 8th region has encountered more difficulties in the employment sector. Moreover, the 4th region faces challenges predominantly in health-related issues, and the 5th region has experienced notable deficiencies in education. Additionally, the results show that the highest level of deprivation is observed in adult literacy, with a rate of 72.4%, whereas the lowest level of deprivation is found in access to electricity, recorded at 1.27%. Consequently, the calculations for the extent, intensity, and multidimensional poverty index (MPI) yield values of 0.34, 0.511, and 0.173, respectively. Which the 2nd and 4th regions exhibit the highest levels of deprivation, while the 10th region demonstrates the lowest levels of poverty in terms of extent and intensity. Lastly, the findings from the Logistic Regression model indicate that the probability of experiencing poverty in households led by an employed and educated person is estimated to be 60% and 15% lower compared to households with an unemployed and illiterate head. Conversely, the addition of an additional member in the household can increase the likelihood of experiencing poverty by 10%.
Article can be downloaded here >> Multidimensional Poverty Measurement in Selected Regions of Mazar-e-Sharif
City, Afghanistan
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