An analysis of transient and chronic multidimensional poverty in South Africa between 2008 and 2017
| dc.contributor.author | Munzhelele, Tumelo | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-01-16T09:45:14Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-01-16T09:45:14Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | A Research Report submitted in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Commerce (Economics/Economic Science) in the School of Economics and Finance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study derives a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for each wave using data from the South African National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) between 2008 to 2017. The MPI is measured using the counting method of Alkire and Foster (2011). In addition, the duration approach of Foster (2009) is used to measure, depending on the MPI, whether households suffer multidimensional chronic or transient poverty. Furthermore, variables that increase a household's likelihood of experiencing chronic or transient multidimensional poverty as opposed to never experiencing multidimensional poverty are found using multinomial logit regression analysis. The results show that the MPI decreased from approximately 7% to 4% between 2008 and 2017. Additionally, the share of South African households which experienced multidimensional poverty decreased from approximately 15% to 10% between 2008 and 2017. However, the intensity of poverty has only decreased by two percentage points from 44% during the same period. This indicates that there has not been much progress in the number of dimensions in which poor households are deprived even as multidimensional poverty decreased. Years spent in school for adults living in the household and unemployment were the dimensions which contributed the most towards the MPI for households that were either chronically or transiently poor. Approximately 73% of households in South Africa never experienced Multidimensional Poverty between 2008 and 2017. Based on the specified deprivation score cut-off, between 1% and 13% of South African households were living in chronic multidimensional poverty. Transient multidimensional poverty affected more than 25% of South Africans. Notably, a higher portion of South Africa's multidimensional poverty is transitory in nature. Black households and female-headed households had the highest incidence of both chronic and transient multidimensional poverty. The multinomial logit model indicates that the likelihood of experiencing chronic or transient multidimensional poverty is higher among households led by individuals without formal education, those with an economically inactive head, and those based in rural areas. | |
| dc.description.submitter | MM2025 | |
| dc.faculty | Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Munzhelele, Tumelo. (2024). An analysis of transient and chronic multidimensional poverty in South Africa between 2008 and 2017 [Masters, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10539/43514 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.rights | © 2025 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. | |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.school | School of Economics and Finance | |
| dc.subject | Multidimensional poverty | |
| dc.subject | Chronic poverty | |
| dc.subject | Transient poverty | |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.subject.other | SDG-8: Decent work and economic growth | |
| dc.title | An analysis of transient and chronic multidimensional poverty in South Africa between 2008 and 2017 | |
| dc.type | Dissertation |