Does Parental Migration Alleviate Multidimensional Poverty among Left-behind Children in Rural Areas?

Abstract

A multidimensional poverty index was constructed based on a specialized survey of rural children in China, with four dimensions reflecting the deprivation of children's rights. Multidimensional poverty was compared between left-behind children (LBC) and non-LBC to assess whether parental migration mitigated such deprivation, and the effects of different types of parental migration on LBC were further analyzed. First, parental migration was found to have alleviated poverty in terms of nutrition and health for LBC but exacerbated deprivation in education, care and protection, and access to information. Second, LBC were more likely to experience multidimensional poverty than non-LBC, particularly when both parents had migrated. Third, the absence of positive parent–child interactions increased the likelihood of LBC experiencing multidimensional poverty, which in turn negatively affected the development of both cognitive and noncognitive abilities. These findings underscore the potential effectiveness of early interventions in education, care and protection, and access to information.