Youth Multidimensional Poverty and Its Dynamics: Evidence From Selected Countries In The Mena Region

A broad consensus among the academic, and other national and international institutions is that poverty cannot be measured and simply defined by the lack of monetary resources, but it is a combination of a range of non-monetary factors. These factors may act as constraints on individuals’ abilities to reach their capabilities; affecting their well-being. Hence, the socio-economic development of a household and a country’s overall welfare, cannot be limited to either economic or social factors, but it must be determined by combining both of these aspects. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) illustrates the importance of taking multiple dimensions of poverty into account. The first aim of this paper is to measure the poverty of youth, aged 15-24, in selected countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region using the Alkire-Foster (AF) method. The second aim is to explore the determinants of the MPI in the youth population. The results of this study are mixed, as we find that the poverty is reduced in the case of Egypt and Tunisia, but it is increased in Jordan and Iraq. Policy implications are further discussed.