Measurement of multidimensional poverty in China from 2013 to 2017 based on the China Household Finance Survey

Eradicating the poverty is the main goal of the global sustainable development. This thesis uses the Alkire-Foster method (2011) and the China Household Finance Survey to study multidimensional poverty in China from 2013 to 2017. It establishes a multidimensional poverty measurement framework with the five dimensions of education, health, living conditions, income and insurance using ten indicators. These indicators include years of schooling, health status, psychological wellbeing, living area, assets ownership, access to water and electricity, income, social insurance and health insurance. We found that psychological wellbeing, health status and per capita housing area contribute greatly to multidimensional poverty, and the contribution of monetary deprivation is less than it used to be. At the same time, while national multidimensional poverty has improved, multidimensional poverty in rural areas is more serious than poverty in urban areas. The results of this thesis address the shortcomings of existing studies to some extent. First, the thesis updates the latest multidimensional poverty status for 2013 to 2017. Second, the thesis considers the contribution of psychological wellbeing to multidimensional poverty according to Alkire (2007)’s suggestions for the first time. Third, the use of the new database could also provide a reference for future studies.