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<p>While India has made substantial progress in reducing overall poverty, child-specific deprivations remain widespread and unevenly distributed within households. Conventional poverty measurement treats the household as the unit of analysis, masking intra-household disparities that disproportionately affect children, especially girls and younger siblings. This study addresses this gap by applying an individual-level analysis of child poverty using the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) framework. Specifically, we construct a child-centered Multidimensional Poverty Index based on National Family and Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015–16) and NFHS-5 (2019–21), incorporating two core child-specific indicators: malnutrition and school attendance/completion. These indicators reflect essential dimensions of child development and are aligned with OPHI’s multidimensional poverty measurement strategies, particularly disaggregation by age, gender, and the identification of intra-household disparities. By examining co-occurrence with malnourished and out-of-school siblings, the study exposes the coexistence of resilience and deprivation within the same household. Intra-household inequality is analyzed across states, rural-urban locations, and social groups using hierarchical clustering techniques. Results reveal a significant decline in child multidimensional poverty over time but persistent inequality within households, with 21% of children in MPI-poor households experiencing unequal nutrition and 14.6% unequal school access. States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand are identified as doubly burdened, with high child poverty and high intra-household inequality. The study highlights the need for region-specific, child-centric policies that recognize intra-household dynamics. It advocates for disaggregated tracking, targeted support for pioneer children, integration of gender- and age-sensitive frameworks into poverty alleviation strategies to ensure that no child remains invisible in the policy discourse.</p>

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Mapping Intra-Household Inequality and Multidimensional Child Poverty in India

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月16日

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  • Swati Dutta

摘要

While India has made substantial progress in reducing overall poverty, child-specific deprivations remain widespread and unevenly distributed within households. Conventional poverty measurement treats the household as the unit of analysis, masking intra-household disparities that disproportionately affect children, especially girls and younger siblings. This study addresses this gap by applying an individual-level analysis of child poverty using the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) framework. Specifically, we construct a child-centered Multidimensional Poverty Index based on National Family and Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015–16) and NFHS-5 (2019–21), incorporating two core child-specific indicators: malnutrition and school attendance/completion. These indicators reflect essential dimensions of child development and are aligned with OPHI’s multidimensional poverty measurement strategies, particularly disaggregation by age, gender, and the identification of intra-household disparities. By examining co-occurrence with malnourished and out-of-school siblings, the study exposes the coexistence of resilience and deprivation within the same household. Intra-household inequality is analyzed across states, rural-urban locations, and social groups using hierarchical clustering techniques. Results reveal a significant decline in child multidimensional poverty over time but persistent inequality within households, with 21% of children in MPI-poor households experiencing unequal nutrition and 14.6% unequal school access. States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand are identified as doubly burdened, with high child poverty and high intra-household inequality. The study highlights the need for region-specific, child-centric policies that recognize intra-household dynamics. It advocates for disaggregated tracking, targeted support for pioneer children, integration of gender- and age-sensitive frameworks into poverty alleviation strategies to ensure that no child remains invisible in the policy discourse.