Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

Rwanda’s MPI complements traditional monetary poverty measures by capturing multiple, overlapping deprivations using the Alkire-Foster method. The index is based on four dimensions: Education, Health, Basic Services, and Living Standards.

Censored Headcount Ratios

Censored headcounts show the proportion of MPI-poor individuals deprived in each indicator, helping identify key drivers of poverty. The highest deprivations are in cooking fuel (29.2%) and housing materials (28.1%).

Other notable deprivations include drinking water (17.4%) and health insurance (15.1%). In contrast, lower deprivation levels are observed in school attendance (2.5%), sanitation (4.1%), and access to healthcare (8.5%).

The incidence (H) reflects the proportion of people who are multidimensionally poor. In Rwanda, the national incidence stands at 30.5%, with significantly higher levels in rural areas (36.7%) compared to urban areas (14.8%). At the provincial level, the City of Kigali has the lowest incidence (12.4%), while the Southern (35.2%) and Eastern (34.4%) provinces record the highest, followed by Western (33.5%) and Northern (28.7%).

TABLE: Table A: Incidence(H), Intensity(A) and Multidimensional Poverty Index, EICV7 (2023-24)

 Incidence (%)Intensity (%)MPI
Rwanda

30.5

44.6

0.136

Residence area   
Urban

14.8

43.9

0.065

Rural

36.7

44.8

0.164

Province   
City of Kigali

12.4

43

0.053

Southern

35.2

45

0.158

Western

33.5

44.6

0.149

Northern

28.7

42.9

0.123

Eastern

34.4

45.5

0.157

Reference document (PDF)