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Reproducibility package for Multidimensional Poverty: Why Not Make Up The Missing Joint Distribution Data?

2026
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Reference ID
RR_WLD_2025_530
DOI
https://doi.org/10.60572/agv4-nh68
Author(s)
Benoit Decerf, Mery Ferrando, Balint Menyhert
Collections
World Bank Policy Research Working Papers
Metadata
JSON
Created on
Apr 06, 2026
Last modified
Apr 06, 2026
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  • Overview
  • Reproducibility Package
  • Description
  • Scope and coverage
  • Disclaimer
  • Access and rights
  • Contacts
  • Information on metadata
  • Citation

    • Overview

    Abstract

    Poverty is inherently multidimensional, encompassing both monetary and non-monetary dimensions. However, these outcomes are often collected in separate surveys, leaving the joint distribution partially unobserved. To improve social poverty comparisons, we propose a new simple method to address this data constraint: assume a fixed value for the missing part of the joint distribution. This approach allows the integration of outcomes collected from different surveys, unlike the mainstream method currently in use. Drawing on household surveys from six developing countries where both dimensions are observed, we show that our method systematically outperforms traditional single-survey measures and “mash-up” measures. Monte Carlo simulations further confirm the robustness of our results across a wide range of data-generating scenarios. Our findings highlight the value of our proposed method for monitoring multidimensional poverty and suggest it may also benefit other social indicators facing similar data limitations.

    Reproducibility Package

    Scripts
    Get Reproducibility Package
    File name
    RR_WLD_2025_530
    Zip package
    RR_WLD_2025_530.zip
    Title
    Reproducibility package for Multidimensional Poverty: Why Not Make Up The Missing Joint Distribution Data?
    Date
    2026-01
    Dependencies
    Stata dependencies are listed in the ado folder.
    Instructions
    See README in reproducibility package.
    Notes
    Computational reproducibility verified by Development Impact (DECDI) Analytics team, World Bank.
    Source code repository
    Repository name URI
    Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank) https://reproducibility.worldbank.org
    Software
    Name
    Stata
    Version
    19

    Reproducibility

    Technology environment

    Paper exhibits were reproduced on a computer with the following specifications:
    • OS: Windows 11 Enterprise
    • Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1145G7 CPU @ 2.60GHz
    • Memory available: 31 GB
    Technology requirements

    Runtime: 2 hours
    Reproduction instructions

    To reproduce the findings in this paper, a new user should:

    -Starting from intermediate data
    The published package is set up to run from intermediate data, included under project/data/in (one file per survey). For details on data sources and compilation, see file data_overview.xlsx.
    Set the project directory in the main do-file and run it. This is the method verified by the replicators.

    • Starting from raw data:
      Download the original survey sources (publicly available), uncomment the first portion of the country do-files, update the paths in main do-file and the country do-files, and run the main do-file.

    Data

    Datasets
    Name
    Bolivia Household Survey 2015
    Dataset ID
    BOL-INE-EH-2015
    Note
    Access date: January 2022. Data files: EH2015_PERSONA.sav; EH2015_VIVIENDA.sav; EH2015_GASTOS EQUIPAMIENTO.sav. These files are used to construct Bolivia_All.dta, which was the starting point for the reproducibility verification conducted by the replicators. The code to produce Bolivia_All.dta from the publicly available sources is included in the package. The data must be placed in /Data/in folder. Only intermediate data is included in the reproducibility package.
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Terms and Conditions Instituto Nacional de Estadística
    License URL
    https://www.ine.gob.bo/index.php/terminos-y-condiciones/
    Data URL
    https://anda.ine.gob.bo/index.php/catalog/53
    Citation
    Bolivia National Institute of Statistics (INE). (2017). "Bolivia Household Survey 2015 [Data set]". La Paz, Bolivia: INE. Available at https://anda.ine.gob.bo/index.php/catalog/53.
    Name
    Brazil National Household Sample Survey (PNAD)
    Note
    Access date: January 2022. Data files: PES2015.TXT; DOM2015.TXT. These files are used to construct Brazil_All.dta, which was the starting point for the reproducibility verification conducted by the replicators. The code to produce Brasil_All.dta from the publicly available sources is included in the package. The data must be placed in /Data/in folder. Only intermediate data is included in the reproducibility package.
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
    License URL
    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/deed.en
    Data URL
    https://www.ibge.gov.br/estatisticas/sociais/trabalho/9127-pesquisa-nacional-por-amostra-de-domicilios.html
    Citation
    Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). "Brazil National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) [dataset]". IBGE official statistics, Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD). Available at: https://www.ibge.gov.br/en/statistics/social/labor/18079-brazil-volume-pnad1.html.
    Name
    Ecuador Living Conditions Survey (ECV) 2013 - 2014
    Note
    Access date: January 2022. Data files: ECV6R_PERSONAS.dta; ECV6R_CAPITAL_SOCIAL.dta; ECV6R_ECV6R_EQUIPAMIENTOwide.dta; ECV6R_ECV6R_VIVIENDA.dta. These files are used to construct Ecuador_All.dta, which was the starting point for the reproducibility verification conducted by the replicators. The code to produce Ecuador_All.dta from the publicly available sources is included in the package. The data must be placed in /Data/in folder. Only intermediate data is included in the reproducibility package.
    Access policy
    Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
    License
    Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
    License URL
    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    Data URL
    https://www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec//documentos/web-inec/ECV/ECV_2015/
    Citation
    National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEP). (2014). "Living Conditions Survey (ECV) 2013–2014 [Data set]". Government of Ecuador, Open Data Portal. Available at https://datosabiertos.gob.ec/dataset/encuesta-condiciones-vida-2014.
    Name
    Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 6 (GLSS6) 2012–2013
    Note
    Access date: January 2022. Data files: GHA_2013_L.dta; 00_GHA_BASICINFO; 01_GHA_EXPFOOD; 02_GHA_EXPALCH; 03_GHA_EXPCLTH; 04_GHA_EXPHOUS; 05_GHA_EXPFURN; 06_GHA_EXPHLTH; 07_GHA_EXPTRSP; 08_GHA_EXPCMNQ; 09_GHA_EXPRCRE; 10_GHA_EXPEDUC; 11_GHA_EXPHOTL; 12_GHA_EXPMISC; 13_GHA_2013_PINDEX; GHA_2013_E; GHA_2013_H; GHA_2013_INCOME; INC_NFARM; INC_OTHER; INC_WAGE_HID; POV_GHA_2013_GLSS6_Up; These files are used to construct Ghana_All.dta, which was the starting point for the reproducibility verification conducted by the replicators. Only intermediate data is included in the reproducibility package.
    Access policy
    Data is publicly accessible and is included in the reproducibility package with the authors' authorization.
    License
    Public Use Files
    Data URL
    https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/854
    Citation
    Ghana Statistical Service. Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 6, 2012 [dataset]. Version 1.0. Accra: GSS [producer and distributor], 2013. https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/854
    Name
    Ethiopia Socioeconomic Survey (ESS) Wave 3 (2015–2016)
    Note
    Access date: January 2022. Data files: sect1_hh_w3.dta; sect2_hh_w3 ;sect3_hh_w3; sect4_hh_w3; sect4b_hh_w3; sect_cover_hh_w3; sect7_hh_w3; sect9_hh_w3; sect11a_hh_w3; sect11c_hh_w3; sect14a_hh_w3; sect14c_hh_w3; ETH_HouseholdGeovars_y3; cons_agg_w3; sect10_hh_w3wide. These files are used to construct Ethiopia_All.dta, which was the starting point for the reproducibility verification conducted by the replicators. The code to produce Ethiopia_All.dta from the publicly available sources is included in the package. Only intermediate data is included in the reproducibility package.
    Access policy
    Data is publicly accessible and is included in the reproducibility package with the authors' authorization.
    License
    Public Use Files
    License URL
    https://microdata.worldbank.org/terms-of-use#public_use
    Data URL
    https://microdata.worldbank.org/catalog/2783/get-microdata
    Citation
    World Bank. (2017). "Ethiopia Socioeconomic Survey (ESS) Wave 3 (2015–2016) [dataset]". World Bank Microdata Library. Available at https://microdata.worldbank.org/catalog/2783/get-microdata.
    Name
    Uganda: National Panel Survey (UNPS) Wave 5, 2015–2016
    Note
    Access date: January 2022. Data files: GSEC2.dta; GSEC3; GSEC4; GSEC5; GSEC6_1; GSEC8; GSEC1; GSEC10_1; GSEC11_1; gsec14wide; GSEC9; These files are used to construct Uganda_All.dta, which was the starting point for the reproducibility verification conducted by the replicators. The code to produce Uganda_All.dta from the publicly available sources is included in the package. The data must be placed in /Data/in folder. Only intermediate data is included in the reproducibility package.
    Access policy
    Data is publicly accessible and is included in the reproducibility package with the authors' authorization.
    License
    Public Use Files
    License URL
    https://microdata.worldbank.org/terms-of-use#public_use
    Data URL
    https://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/3460
    Citation
    Uganda Bureau of Statistics. (2019). "Uganda- National Panel Survey (UNPS) 2015-2016 [dataset]." World Bank Microdata Library. Available at https://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/3460.
    Data statement

    All data is publicly accessible and included in the reproducibility package.

    Description

    Output
    Type
    Working Paper
    Title
    Multidimensional Poverty: Why Not Make Up The Missing Joint Distribution Data?
    Description
    Policy Research Working Papers (PRWP)
    Authors
    Author Affiliation Email
    Benoit Decerf University of Namur benoit.decerf@unamur.be
    Mery Ferrando Tilburg University m.ferrando@tilburguniversity.edu
    Balint Menyhert Independent researcher currently without affiliation balint.menyhert@gmail.com
    Date of production

    2026-01-22

    Scope and coverage

    Geographic locations
    Location Code
    World WLD
    Keywords
    Multidimensional Poverty Measurement Social Comparisons Data Constraints Imputation Methods
    Topics
    ID Topic Parent topic ID Vocabulary Vocabulary URI
    I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty I3 Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)
    I38 Government Policy • Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs I3 Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)
    C81 Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data • Data Access C8 Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)
    O15 Human Resources • Human Development • Income Distribution • Migration O1 Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)

    Disclaimer

    Disclaimer

    The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.

    Access and rights

    License
    Name URI
    Modified BSD3 https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause/

    Contacts

    Contacts
    Name Affiliation Email
    Benoit Decerf University of Namur benoit.decerf@unamur.be
    Reproducibility WBG World Bank reproducibility@worldbank.org

    Information on metadata

    Producers
    Name Abbreviation Affiliation Role
    Reproducibility WBG DECDI World Bank - Development Impact Department Verification and preparation of metadata
    Date of Production

    2026-01-22
    Document version

    1

    Citation

    Citation
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