The Development Initiatives briefing What is multidimensional poverty? (October 2022) explains that poverty extends beyond income to include health, education, political freedoms, and social participation. Drawing on Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach, it frames poverty as deprivation of fundamental rights and opportunities. While economic measures like the extreme poverty line remain central, the paper stresses the need for complementarity across humanitarian and development sectors, especially in protracted crises. It highlights diversity in how poverty is experienced, the importance of participatory and context‑specific measures, and the role of disaggregated data in exposing inequalities. The briefing reviews multidimensional poverty frameworks and emphasizes flexible, inclusive approaches to ensure no one is left behind.
