Global Poverty Monitoring Technical Note 46 June 2025 Update to the Multidimensional Poverty Measure What’s New Gabriel Lara Ibarra Minh Cong Nguyen Daylan Salmeron Gomez Cameron Haddad June 2025 Keywords: Multidimensional Poverty Measure, June 2025. Development Data Group Development Research Group Poverty and Equity Global Department GLOBAL POVERTY MONITORING TECHNICAL NOTE 46 Abstract This note presents the 9th edition of the World Bank’s Multidimensional Poverty Measure (MPM) database, drawing on the latest country data from the Global Monitoring Database (GMD) as of June 2025. The MPM offers a broader view of poverty by examining deprivations along three dimensions of well-being: monetary poverty (measured using the international poverty line of $3.00 per person per day in 2021 PPP), education, and access to basic infrastructure services. This latest edition covers 120 economies for circa 2021, an increase from the 110 economies of the October 2024 update. All authors are with the World Bank. Corresponding author: Gabriel Lara Ibarra (glaraibarra@worldbank.org ). This work could not be completed without the contributions from the Data for Goals team: Diana Sanchez Castro, Elizabeth Foster, Haoyu Wu, Laura Moreno Herrera, Reno Dewina, Sergio Olivieri, Jaime Estuardo Fernandez Romero, Veronica Montalva Talledo, Zurab Sajaia, and Daniel Gerszon Mahler. This note has been cleared by Gabriela Inchauste. The Global Poverty Monitoring Technical Note Series publishes short papers that document methodological aspects of the World Bank’s global poverty estimates. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. Global Poverty Monitoring Technical Notes are available at https://pip.worldbank.org/publication. Contents 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 2 1.1. What is the Multidimensional Poverty Measure? ............................................................................ 2 1.2. Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3. Data source....................................................................................................................................... 3 1.4. Coverage .......................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Revisions in the 9th edition of the MPM: What’s New ........................................................................... 4 2.1 Key results ............................................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Comparison with earlier estimates ......................................................................................................... 6 3. Modifying weights in the MPM............................................................................................................... 8 4. References ................................................................................................................................................ 9 1 1. Introduction 1.1. What is the Multidimensional Poverty Measure? The World Bank’s Multidimensional Poverty Measure (MPM) is an index that reflects the share of households in a country experiencing deprivations across three key dimensions of well-being: monetary poverty, education, and access to essential infrastructure services. By going beyond income-based metrics, the MPM offers a broader and more nuanced understanding of poverty and human welfare. 1.2. Methodology The Multidimensional Poverty Measure (MPM) consists of six binary indicators organized into three equally weighted dimensions: monetary standard of living, education, and access to basic infrastructure. The six indicators are consumption- or income-based poverty, school enrollment, educational attainment, and access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, and electricity. Each indicator takes a value of 1 if the household is deprived and 0 otherwise. These deprivations are then combined into a single index, with each dimension carrying the same weight and each indicator within a dimension sharing that dimension’s weight equally. A household is classified as multidimensionally poor if its weighted sum of deprivations is at least one-third, meaning it must be deprived in one entire dimension or in a set of indicators across dimensions that collectively amount to one full dimension’s weight. The monetary dimension, carrying one-third of the total weight, classifies a household as deprived if its per- person daily consumption or income is below $3.00 (2021 Purchasing Power Parity).1 The education dimension, also weighted at one-third, is divided into two indicators: enrollment and attainment. A household is deprived in enrollment if any child of primary-school age (up to grade 8) is not attending school, and it is deprived in attainment if no household member aged nine or older has completed primary education. The basic infrastructure dimension—likewise weighted at one-third—includes three indicators: access to safe drinking water, access to adequate sanitation, and access to electricity. Because the monetary dimension consists of a single indicator, anyone identified as income poor automatically meets the threshold for multidimensional poverty. Table 1 outlines the weights and deprivation cutoffs for each MPM dimension and its respective indicators. 1 The World Bank adopted this international poverty line in June 2025 (Foster ⓡ al., 2025). 2 Table 1. Multidimensional Poverty Measure Dimensions, Weights, and Thresholds Dimension Indicator Weight Monetary Daily consumption or income is less than US$ 3.00 per person. 1/3 At least one school-age child up to the age of grade 8 is not enrolled 1/6 in school. Education No adult in the household (age of grade 9 or above) has completed 1/6 primary education. The household lacks access to limited-standard drinking water. 1/9 Access to basic The household lacks access to limited-standard sanitation. 1/9 infrastructure The household has no access to electricity. 1/9 Source: Adapted from World Bank, 2018. Note: “Limited-standard” refers to drinking water that comes from an improved source and to sanitation using improved sanitation facilities. See washdata.org/monitoring for more information. 1.3. Data source Data for the MPM comes from surveys in the World Bank’s Global Monitoring Database (GMD).2 This latest edition draws on data collected over a six-year period (2018–2024) for 120 economies, centered around the circa year 2021. While the GMD standardizes survey data to the extent possible, some differences in questions and definitions across countries may remain. In addition, the MPM emphasizes access to services rather than their quality, since measuring quality consistently across diverse surveys is difficult. Using “circa” years to report MPM estimates reflects the fact that data-collection schedules vary by country. While this enhances cross country comparability by showing information for a similar time period, it requires caution when interpreting trends over time, as the set of countries included can change between editions. 1.4. Coverage The MPM’s coverage rule mirrors that of the World Bank’s global monetary poverty measures. A global MPM estimate is reported only when survey data cover at least 50 percent of the world’s population and at 2 The GMD is the World Bank’s repository of multitopic income and expenditure household surveys used to monitor global poverty and shared prosperity. The household survey data are typically collected by national statistical offices in each country, and then compiled, processed, and harmonized. The process is coordinated by the Data for Goals (D4G) team and supported by the six regional statistics teams in the Poverty and Equity Global Department. The Global Poverty & Inequality Data Team (GPID) in the Development Economics Data Group (DECDG) also contributes historical data from before 1990 and recent survey data from the Luxemburg Income Study (LIS). Selected variables have been harmonized to the extent possible such that levels and trends in poverty and other key sociodemographic attributes can be reasonably compared across and within countries over time. The GMD’s harmonized microdata are currently used in the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP), the World Bank’s Multidimensional Poverty Measure (MPM), the Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP), and Poverty, Prosperity and Planet Reports (previously known as Poverty and Shared Prosperity Reports). 3 least 50 percent of the population in low-income and lower-middle-income countries, using data collected within a three-year window on either side of the reference year. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, only surveys conducted in 2020 or later now count toward the global and regional population coverage calculations for circa 2021. This amendment ensures that the reported MPM estimates reflect post-pandemic conditions and applies to the 9th edition of the MPM database (see Aron et al. 2024 and World Bank 2024 for a detailed discussion). For individual countries, pre-2020 data (deemed circa 2021) may still be used to estimate national poverty levels when more recent data are unavailable, but these pre-pandemic surveys are excluded from the population coverage figures that determine whether global or regional estimates can be published. These rules have led to a notable reduction in MPM population coverage. Estimating multidimensional poverty requires more data—multiple dimensions must be measured for the same households, not just monetary poverty. In this edition, global coverage (for circa 2021) stands at roughly 43 percent. Coverage remains particularly limited in regions like South Asia and East Asia and the Pacific, largely because comprehensive, recent MPM data are unavailable for populous countries such as India and China (which have available estimates for monetary poverty but not the MPM). Coverage rules and the resulting data limitations highlight the need for caution when interpreting MPM results, especially when making comparisons across editions of the MPM database or between regions with varying levels of recent data availability. 2. Revisions in the 9th edition of the MPM: What’s New 2.1 Key results The 9th edition of the MPM database is based on national household surveys from 120 countries covering circa 2021 (with data collected between 2018 and 2024). This is fewer than the 127 countries featured in the 7th edition—largely because of reduced availability of recent surveys—but more than the 110 countries included in the 8th edition. This update also incorporates the 2021 Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) released by the International Comparison Program (ICP) in May 2024. As a result, the World Bank’s poverty lines have been adjusted to US$3.00, US$4.20, and US$8.30 (all in 2021 PPP), replacing the previous 2017 PPP- based lines of US$2.15, US$3.65, and US$6.85, respectively. 4 Table 2 presents a detailed regional breakdown of the multidimensional headcount ratio, covering all relevant dimensions and indicators. As noted above, estimating multidimensional poverty requires extensive data, since it relies on observing the same households across multiple dimensions. Because of this complexity and the coverage criteria outlined earlier, some regions’ most recent data do not reach the 50 percent population coverage threshold and are therefore marked with an asterisk in the tables. Unfortunately, this lack of data leads to low population coverage at the global level as well. Consistent with previous MPM editions, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest multidimensional poverty rate, with 59 percent of its population experiencing deprivations. In South Asia3, the multidimensional poverty rate far exceeds the monetary poverty rate, largely because of shortcomings in sanitation access and educational attainment. Finally, Table 3 presents a regional breakdown of the share of people deprived in each MPM indicator. Worldwide, inadequate sanitation is the most widespread deprivation, affecting 23.6 percent of the global population. Table 2. Monetary and Multidimensional Poverty, by Region and the World in 2021 PPPs, circa 2021 Monetary Multidimensional Number of Population Region poverty rate poverty rate (%) economies coverage (%)a (%) East Asia & Pacific 5.9 6.3 12 28.0 Europe & Central Asia 1.0 2.7 24 69.4 Latin America & Caribbean 4.6 5.3 20 90.6 Middle East & North Africa 2.1 5.2 6 62.4 South Asia 11.7 16.4 6 10.5 Sub-Saharan Africa 47.0 59.1 27 41.1 Rest of the World 0.4 1.1 25 81.1 All regions 13.6 17.5 120 42.8 Source: Global Monitoring Database, June 2025. Note: The multidimensional poverty rate is the share of the population defined as multidimensionally poor. The monetary poverty rate is based on the $3.00 international poverty line. Regional and total estimates are population- weighted averages of survey-year estimates for 120 economies. Number of economies is the number of economies in each region for which information is available in the window between 2018 and 2024, for a circa 2021 reporting year. Light gray shade indicates low population coverage. a Population coverage refers to the population that is covered by a recent survey (in 2020 or later) using the coverage rule described in Section 1.4. 3 India is not included due to unavailability of non-monetary poverty data. 5 Table 3. Share of population deprived in each indicator, 120 economies, circa 2021 in 2021 PPPs Monetary Educational Educational Electricity Sanitation Drinking Region poverty attainment enrollment (%) (%) (%) water (%) (%) (%) East Asia & Pacific 5.9 4.6 1.8 1.2 9.8 4.5 Europe & Central Asia 1.0 1.0 0.5 1.8 9.5 4.8 Latin America & Caribbean 4.6 8.2 2.0 1.1 16.9 2.7 Middle East & North Africa 2.1 6.5 4.8 0.3 2.6 0.9 South Asia 11.7 15.3 17.6 6.0 24.0 5.2 Sub-Saharan Africa 47.0 27.5 20.3 49.6 64.1 32.0 Rest of the World 0.4 0.8 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 All regions 13.6 10.5 9.1 12.3 23.6 11.0 Source: Global Monitoring Database, June 2025. Note: This table shows the share of population living in households deprived in an indicator of the multidimensional poverty measure. The monetary poverty rate is based on the international poverty line of $3.00 at 2021 PPP. Regional and total estimates are population weighted averages of survey-year estimates for 120 economies. Population data is from 2021. Number of economies is the number of economies in each region for which information is available in the window between 2018 and 2024, for a circa 2021 reporting year. Light gray shade indicates low population coverage. See Section 1.4 for a discussion of the coverage rule. 2.2 Comparison with earlier estimates The new data vintage provides a more complete and up-to-date picture of multidimensional poverty in the world. However, the incorporation of new PPP data brings the challenge of comparability across time. To address this, Table 4 shows the regional and global estimates of multidimensional poverty rate for two vintages: October 2024 and June 2025. In this comparison, both vintages are expressed in 2017 PPPs, so observed changes are mostly coming from the addition of new (circa 2021) data. Evidence suggests that the multidimensional poverty rate was well estimated (and low) among regions for which coverage was over 50%. For MENA, for which we now have a regional coverage of over 50%, the evidence largely confirms the estimations from October 2024. Thus, the (upward) revised estimates on the multidimensional poverty rates mostly follow the revisions in the international poverty line and less so the changes in data incorporated in the June 2025 vintage. 6 Table 4. Multidimensional Poverty and Coverage, by Region and the World and Data vintage, circa 2021 October 2024 vintage June 2025 vintage Region Multidimensional Population Multidimensional Population poverty rate (%) coverage (%)a poverty rate (%) coverage (%)a East Asia & Pacific 2.7 26.4 2.7 28.0 Europe & Central Asia 2.1 77.9 2.1 69.4 Latin America & Caribbean 3.6 86.4 3.9 90.6 Middle East & North Africa 1.5 23.7 3.9 62.4 South Asia 11.2 10.5 11.2 10.5 Sub-Saharan Africa 52.6 30.7 54.7 41.1 Rest of the World 1 69.3 1.1 81.1 All regions 13.4 37.3 14.9 42.8 Source: Global Monitoring Database June 2025 vintage and Diaz-Bonilla et al. (2024) for October 2024 vintage results. Note: The multidimensional poverty rate is the share of the population defined as multidimensionally poor. The monetary poverty used as a component of this rate is based on the $2.15 international poverty line (expressed in 2017 PPPs). October 2024 vintage: regional and total estimates are population weighted averages of survey-year estimates for 110 economies. Regions with less than 50% population coverage are shown in light grey. a Population coverage refers to the population that is covered by a recent survey (in 2020 or later). 7 3. Modifying weights in the MPM The Multidimensional Poverty Dashboard offers comprehensive information for 154 countries, including both current MPM data and historical data from previous editions. Users can explore the data on the website. Figure 1. Multidimensional Poverty Measure (MPM) Dashboard Source: https://pip.worldbank.org/multidimensionalpoverty-measure 8 4. References Aron, Danielle Victoria; R.Andres Castaneda Aguilar; Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina; Fujs, Tony Henri Mathias Jany; Garcia Rojas, Diana Carolina; Hill, Ruth; Jularbal, Ma Llane Loren Torres; Lakner, Christoph; Lara Ibarra, Gabriel; Mahler, Daniel Gerszon; Nguyen, Minh Cong; Samuel Nursamsu, Carlos Sabatino; Zurab Sajaia; William Seitz; Bambang Suharnoko Sjahrir; Samuel K. Tetteh-Baah; Martha C. Viveros Mendoza; Hernan Winkler; Haoyu Wu; Nishant Yonzan. September 2024 Update to the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP): What’s New (English). Global Poverty Monitoring Technical Note; no. 39; Washington, D.C.: World BankGroup. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099913509172439457/IDU1332880781f0f 4147051b5f81765fe1a1bd77 Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina; Sabatino, Carlos; Aron, Danielle Victoria; Haddad, Cameron; Nguyen, Minh C. and Wu, Haoyu Wu, 2024. October 2024 Update to the Multidimensional Poverty Measure: What's New, Global Poverty Monitoring Technical Note; No 42. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099014010212439664/pdf/IDU12805ef6a17914141a 31853d198f49e958743.pdf Foster, Elizabeth Mary ⓡ Dean Mitchell Jolliffe ⓡ Gabriel Lara Ibarra ⓡ Christoph Lakner ⓡ Samuel Tetteh-Baah. 2024. Global Poverty Revisited Using 2021 PPPs and New Data on Consumption. Policy Research Working Paper; No. 10570. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. https://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099503206032533226 World Bank. 2018. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018: Piecing together the poverty puzzle. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/poverty-and-shared-prosperity-2018 World Bank, 2024. Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2024: Pathways out of the polycrisis. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/poverty-prosperity-and-planet 9