Experience of Belarus in calculating the National Multidimensional Poverty Index presented at the Workshop on harmonization of poverty statistics in Geneva

The Workshop on harmonization of poverty statistics and the meeting of the Group of Experts on Measuring Poverty and Inequality organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in cooperation with the Interstate Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CISSTAT) are held on 27 – 29 November 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus is represented at the meeting by Elena Kukharevich, First Deputy Chairperson, and Inna Konoshonok, Head of Living Standards Statistics and Household Surveys Department.



During the Workshop session dedicated to the national measures of multidimensional poverty Elena Kukharevich presented Belstat’s experience in calculating the Multidimensional Poverty Index in the Republic of Belarus.

‘Today, poverty is increasingly recognised as a global phenomenon that goes beyond the material conditions of people's lives and, as a consequence, requires a multidimensional approach to its measurement in order to better understand its various forms. Multidimensional poverty measures (incidence of poverty and intensity of deprivation) do not simply complement monetary poverty statistics, but are a powerful tool for monitoring a country's progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals on key aspects of well-being, such as living conditions, education, health, employment, etc.,’ the First Deputy Chair noted.

Elena Kukharevich said that in order to select the most significant for the country measures and to determine which norms can be used as poverty thresholds, various policy and strategic documents that define the key directions of the country's development in the medium and long term were analysed. To ensure a comprehensive approach to the calculation of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI), 5 dimensions were selected: education, health and environment, housing conditions, employment, and living standards. The results obtained show that the Multidimensional Poverty Index in the Republic of Belarus is extremely low.

‘The development of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index allows for the monitoring and tracking of poverty in all its forms and dimensions based on national context and development priorities. The NMPI and its components can be used to report on SDG target 1.2 and SDG indicator 1.2.2 ‘Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions’. Further plans include validation of the data by experts of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and introduction of the NMPI calculations into statistical practice on a regular basis,’ summarised Elena Kukharevich.