Page 33 - Contributed Paper Session (CPS) - Volume 4

CPS2109 Khalid S. et al.

Measurement of multidimensional child poverty
in Morocco 2001-2014:
Methodology and results
Abdeljaouad EZZRARI, Khalid SOUDI
High Commission of Planning, Rabat, Morocco

Abstract
The objectives of this study are: (i) proposing a multidimensional measure of
poverty approach to quantify the extent of this phenomenon; (ii) determining
the dimensions and factors that contribute to its social reproduction; and (iii)
determining the Child Poverty profile. Among other things, this mainly aims
to respond to the following questions: Who are these poor children? Why are
they poor? What are the correlates and reproductive factors in child poverty?
is there a generational transmission of poverty? What are the individual, family
and community determinants of child poverty? How has this poverty evolved?
The methodological approach developed as part of this investigation was
based on the theory of fuzzy sets and on MPI Alkire and Foster approach. By
combining these two approaches, the final approach is: 1) determining the
weights of the dimensions defining the space of the well-being of children; 2)
standardizing dimensional indices defining the well-being of children; 3)
calculating the composite index of deprivation according to the approach of
fuzzy sets; 4) and calculating of the indices of multidimensional poverty
according Alkire and Fooster approach.
The results of this study show a general improvement of social children
welfare. The evolution of the composite index of deprivation highlights the
continuing decline of the situation of children deprivation, of all ages: it
dropped by nearly half, from 0.295 in 2001 to 0.128 in 2014. Along with this
trend, multidimensional child poverty knew a strong downward trend. The
prevalence of poor children evolved from 43.6% in 2001 to 24.1% in 2007 and
11.0% in 2014. From the outset, the share of severely poor children moved
from 24.5% in 2001 to 9.7% in 2007 and 2.6% in 2014. It is in rural areas where
this form of poverty is most striking: in 2014, it was 5.4%, while 0.3% in urban
areas. These indices were respectively 45.1% and 3.3% in 2001.
Poverty experienced in childhood is a social reproduction of adult poverty and
a consequence of poor living conditions. The risk of multidimensional child
poverty is strongly differentiated by socio-professional category of the head
of household. Similarly, education and knowledge are also proving essential
determinants in improving children's standard of living.

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