The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) utilizes internationally comparable household survey data to measure deprivations in health and education in addition to living standards. It not only measures the number of people who are poor but also the depth and composition of human poverty. For advocates seeking to use budgets as an instrument to make investments in human development and realize the economic and social human rights of poor people, the MPI offers a new tool to identify those most in need, understand the multifaceted nature of some of the deprivations they face, and track the impacts of pro-poor investments.
