The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), with the support of the United Nations Development Programme in Moldova (UNDP Moldova) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), carried out experimental calculations of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) based on data from the Household Budget Survey (HBS) for 2022 and prepared the analytical report “Analysis of Multidimensional Poverty in the Republic of Moldova in 2022” (in Rom.).

The process of designing the national MPI involved several stages, including workshops for representatives of the NBS, ministries, other public authorities and academia on international approaches and good practices; practical exercises aimed at consulting groups considered vulnerable in the context of the Republic of Moldova; and public opinion surveys conducted to further prioritise the dimensions of poverty.

The NBS worked jointly with experts from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative to carry out the experimental MPI calculations using the Alkire-Foster method, as well as to develop the draft methodology (in Rom.) for calculating the national MPI, which was approved in 2023. In 2024, experimental MPI calculations were carried out and an analytical report on the measurement of multidimensional poverty in the Republic of Moldova for 2022 was prepared. Both the MPI methodology and the aforementioned report provide the methodological and analytical basis for producing the indicator used to monitor Target 1.2 of Sustainable Development Goal 1:By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The MPI contributes the necessary data to the national framework for monitoring the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in accordance with Government Decision No. 953/2022(in Rom.).

The National Multidimensional Poverty Index goes beyond monetary indicators and covers the dimensions of health, education, living conditions and employment, measured through 11 specific indicators, using the Household Budget Survey as the data source for its calculation. The poverty dimensions proposed for inclusion in the Index were identified through an extensive consultation process.

Adopting a multidimensional approach to measuring poverty will enable Moldovan authorities and society to better understand the prevalence and complexity of poverty at both national and regional levels. This approach is essential for developing targeted policies and practical measures aimed at reducing poverty.

One of the objectives of the Report was, on the one hand, to describe the process of developing the national MPI by presenting in detail the methodological approach applied, the dimensions and indicators, as well as the deprivation thresholds used in estimating the MPI. On the other hand, the document presents the results of estimating the proportion of the country’s population experiencing multidimensional poverty and the deprivations affecting it, together with a comprehensive analysis of the impact of poverty across four key dimensions: health, education, living conditions and employment.

The information and analysis presented in the Report may be used to identify deprived persons and vulnerable groups, allocate resources with a significant impact on poverty reduction, coordinate multisectoral policies, manage interventions addressing the problems identified, and adjust evidence-based policies that will accelerate improvements in the quality of life.

The experimental calculations and the preparation of the Report benefited from the cooperation and support of the team of experts from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the relevant ministries. Their contribution covered both the calculation of the Multidimensional Poverty Index and the interpretation of the results from a policy perspective, in cooperation with NBS staff, as well as technical and financial support.

The Report is available on the NBS website, www.statistica.gov.md, under Products and Services / Experimental Statistics / Measurement of Multidimensional Poverty.