The UN Development Programme's Human Development Report Office in collaboration with Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative of Oxford University has released a new system of measuring poverty around the world. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) expands on past measures which were typically income-based (the so-called "dollar a day" formula) and focuses instead on a household's educational access and achievement, health outcomes like mortality rates,nutrition, sanitation practices, assets owned, and access to electricity, cooking fuel, and clean water.

These new measures reveal some interesting relative poverty comparisons especially in the regions where IIRR works. For example, in Kenya, 20% of the population is considered "income poor" that is, living on or less than $1.25US per day. Using the MPI measures though, that number climbs to 60% of the population. In Ethiopia, the income poor percentage is about 39% (at or less than $1.25US per day) while the MPI measures the percentage at nearly 90%, second highest of all countries studied. The Philippines on the other hand, ranks higher in the income poor rankings (at 23% living on or less than $1.25US per day) while the MPI puts the poverty percentage at about 13% of the population (in line with China). It is hoped that these new measurement methods will be useful to development organizations and their funders in determining types of interventions and the scale appropriate to a population's needs.

The MPI and the data were created by: Alkire, Sabina, and Maria Emma Santos, 2010. Multidimensional Poverty Index: 2010 Data. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. You can learn more at: www.ophi.org/uk/policy/multidimensional-poverty-index/.>

IIRR has long recognized the importance of educational access, community health practices, sustainable nutrition, and appropriate natural resources managment. Our programs are designed to release the social, economic, intellectual, and physical potential of the rural poor. Along with our network of partners, we have pioneered poverty reduction techniques such as Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction and Natural Resources Conservation, Learning Our Way Out forums, and flexible, targeted education for pastoralist communities.

If you are passionate about fighting poverty, please consider supporting IIRR's work. You can donate online at https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/IIRR_2/OnlineGiving.html