Determinants of Multidimensional Poverty among the Under-Five: Illustration Based on Data from the Congo Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey

Abstract

This research’s objectives were to discuss the measurement of multidimensional poverty among children under five years of age and research the explanatory factors of this poverty. Using data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) carried out in 2015, a multidimensional poverty index for children under five years old was constructed using Alkire and Foster (2011). The private dimensions of children are early childhood education, health, and sanitation. Estimates carried out show that in 2015, multidimensional poverty affected 35 percent of children under five years old in Congo-Brazzaville. Also, the factors explaining this poverty include, among other things, the mothers’ lack of education, place of residence, the household’s standard of living, and the presence of several children in the same household. The results suggest the need to redress rural areas’ disadvantages, particularly regarding access to basic social services.