Articles Published 31 July 2026

Global Poverty Metrics and the Problem of Missing Context

Adeleke Oladapo Banwo
Full text
PDF View full text 547 KB · 22 pages XML JATS full text 68 KB · machine readable
DOI 10.32890/jbma2026.16.2.3 Cite this article
Citations
0
No citations recorded yet

Article

Abstract

This study employs a mixed conceptual and secondary data analysis approach to investigate the poverty-environment nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on the Alkire-Foster Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and World Bank data from 41 Sub-Saharan African countries, it challenges the over-reliance on standardized global indices for contextual understanding of poverty and environmental sustainability. Grounded in a tripartite theoretical framework integrating behavioral, structural, and political theories of poverty, the study demonstrates how aggregated MPI metrics conceal localized deprivation patterns and how variation in survey recency across countries introduces significant methodological bias. Critically, the six countries showing MPI improvement (Benin, Comoros, Kenya, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Tanzania) are also those with the most recent data (2021–2023), raising questions about whether observed gains reflect genuine progress. The analysis also reveals there is a disconnection between the numbers of national agro-environmental policies and their implementation effectiveness, underscoring the fact that policies alone do not result in poverty reduction or environmental sustainability. To address these gaps, the study recommends the adoption of disaggregated local data, community-based poverty indicators, and more frequent dataset updates. The findings advance understanding of context-specific poverty measurement and offer a framework for evaluating the applicability of global indices across diverse national settings.

Keywords
Multidimensional poverty index poverty-environment nexus Sub-Saharan Africa sustainable development goals (SDGs) deprivations.

How to Cite

How to Cite

Global Poverty Metrics and the Problem of Missing Context. (2026). Journal of Business Management and Accounting, 16(2), 172-193. https://doi.org/10.32890/jbma2026.16.2.3

Metrics & impact

Citations by source

Harvested 31-08-2026

Counts differ by index because each source crawls a different corpus. Crossref counts only registered reference lists; Google Scholar includes theses, preprints and grey literature.

OpenAlex
0
Open corpus, updated daily View →
OpenCitations
0
Open references only View →
Crossref
0
Deposited reference lists only View →
Scopus
0 Not indexed
Indexed titles only View →
Google Scholar
Publishes no citation count that can be read automatically.
Includes theses and preprints Search →
Dimensions
Publishes no citation count that can be read automatically.
Includes policy documents Search →

Attention beyond citation

Field-weighted citation impact 0.00

From OpenAlex. A field-weighted impact of 1.00 is the world average for work of the same field, type and year. No Altmetric key is configured, so news, policy and social attention are not shown.

Identifiers
DOI · 10.32890/jbma2026.16.2.3
OpenAlex · W7171821142

References

References 50
Deposited to Crossref with the article DOI
  1. Admasu, Y., Alkire, S., Ekhator-Mobayode, U. E., Kovesdi, F., Santamaria, J., & Scharlin-Pettee, S. (2021). A multi-country analysis of multidimensional poverty in contexts of forced displacement (Policy Research Working Paper No. 9826). World Bank.
  2. Alkire, S., Kanagaratnam, U., & Suppa, N. (2023). A methodological note on the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2023 changes over time results for 84 countries (OPHI MPI Methodological Note No. 57). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, University of Oxford.
  3. Anetor, F. O., Esho, E., & Verhoef, G. (2020). The impact of foreign direct investment, foreign aid and trade on poverty reduction: Evidence from Sub-Saharan African countries. Cogent Economics & Finance, 8(1), Article 1737347.
  4. Baloch, M. A., Khan, S. U.-D., & Ulucak, Z. Ş. (2020). Poverty and vulnerability of environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan African countries: What causes what? Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 54, 143–149.
  5. Banerjee, A. V., Benabou, R., & Mookherjee, D. (Eds.). (2006). Understanding poverty. Oxford University Press.
  6. Barbier, E. B. (2010). Poverty, development, and environment. Environment and Development Economics, 15(6), 635–660.
  7. Bradshaw, T. K. (2007). Theories of poverty and anti-poverty programs in community development. Community Development, 38(1), 7–25.
  8. Brady, D. (2019). Theories of the causes of poverty. Annual Review of Sociology, 45, 155–175.
  9. Bucknall, J., Kraus, C., & Pillai, P. (2000). Poverty and environment (Environment Strategy Background Paper). World Bank, Environment Department.
  10. Chambers, R. (2013). Participation, pluralism and perceptions of poverty. In N. Kakwani & J. Silber (Eds.), The many dimensions of poverty (140–164). Palgrave Macmillan.
  11. Council of the European Communities. (1975). Council decision of 22 July 1975 concerning a programme of pilot schemes and studies to combat poverty, 75/458/EEC (OJ L 199, 30.7.1975). Council of the European Communities.
  12. Deaton, A. (2006). Measuring poverty. In A. V. Banerjee, R. Benabou, & D. Mookherjee (Eds.), Understanding poverty (3–15). Oxford University Press.
  13. Deaton, A., Rausser, G., & Zilberman, D. (2020). A conversation with Angus Deaton. Annual Review of Resource Economics, 12, 1–22.
  14. De Bruijn, E.-J., & Antonides, G. (2022). Poverty and economic decision making: A review of scarcity theory. Theory and Decision, 92(1), 5–37.
  15. Ellis, B. J., Abrams, L. S., Masten, A. S., Sternberg, R. J., Tottenham, N., & Frankenhuis, W. E. (2022). Hidden talents in harsh environments. Development and Psychopathology, 34(1), 95–113.
  16. Ernst, E., Sánchez Martínez, M., Horne, R., Feist, L., Kampert, P., & Tobin, S. (2024). World employment and social outlook: Trends 2024. International Labour Organization.
  17. Frankenhuis, W. E., & Nettle, D. (2020). The strengths of people in poverty. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29(1), 16–21.
  18. Goedemé, T., Decerf, B., & Van den Bosch, K. (2022). A new poverty indicator for Europe: The extended headcount ratio. Journal of European Social Policy, 32(3), 287–301.
  19. Grek, S., Tichenor, M., & Bandola-Gill, J. (2023). Numbers as utopia: Sustainable Development Goals and the making of quantified futures. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13691481231210385
  20. Hasell, J., & Arriagada, P. (2022). From $1.90 to $2.15 a day: The updated International Poverty Line. Our World in Data.
  21. Hickmann, T., Biermann, F., Sénit, C.-A., Sun, Y., Bexell, M., Bolton, M.,...
  22. Coy, D. (2024). Scoping article: Research frontiers on the governance of the Sustainable Development Goals. Global Sustainability, 7, Article e7.
  23. Hoyt, C. L., Billingsley, J., Burnette, J. L., Becker, W., & Babij, A. D. (2023). The implications of mindsets of poverty for stigma against those in poverty. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 53(5), 385–407.
  24. Kakwani, N., & Silber, J. (Eds.). (2008). The many dimensions of poverty. Palgrave Macmillan.
  25. Khanam, D., Mohiuddin, M., Hoque, A., & Weber, O. (2018). Financing micro-entrepreneurs for poverty alleviation: A performance analysis of microfinance services offered by BRAC, ASA, and Proshika from Bangladesh. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 8, 1–17.
  26. Lever, J. P. (2013). The subjective dimension of poverty: A psychological viewpoint. In N. Kakwani & J. Silber (Eds.), The many dimensions of poverty (75–85). Palgrave Macmillan.
  27. London, T. (2012). A base-of-the-pyramid perspective on poverty alleviation [Working paper].
  28. Mahembe, E., & Odhiambo, N. M. (2019). Foreign aid and poverty reduction: A review of international literature. Cogent Social Sciences, 5(1), Article 1625741.
  29. Martí, M., & Ródenas, C. (2024). Poor and satisfied? A review of the monetary poverty indicator in the EU. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 32(1), 100–128.
  30. Masron, T. A., & Subramaniam, Y. (2019). Does poverty cause environmental degradation? Evidence from developing countries. Journal of Poverty, 23(1), 44–64.
  31. Mekonnen, A. G. (2024). Estimating multidimensional poverty: A new methodological approach. Journal of Poverty. Advance online publication.
  32. Moyer, J. D., Pirzadeh, A., Irfan, M., Solórzano, J., Stone, B., Xiong, Y.,...
  33. Hughes, B. B. (2023). How many people will live in poverty because of climate change? A macro-level projection analysis to 2070. Climatic Change, 176(10), Article 137.
  34. Nandori, E. S. (2024). Objective and subjective poverty. In Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (4771–4775). Springer.
  35. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. (2022). Measuring rural poverty with a multidimensional approach: The Rural Multidimensional Poverty Index (Vol. 19). Food and Agriculture Organization.
  36. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, & United Nations Development Programme. (2023). Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2023: Unstacking global poverty. Data for high impact action. United Nations Development Programme.
  37. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, & United Nations Development Programme. (2024). Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2024: Poverty amid conflict. United Nations Development Programme.
  38. Paul, D. (2021). Merging the poverty and environment agendas (Still Only One Earth Policy Brief Series No. 11). International Institute for Sustainable Development.
  39. Roser, M. (2023). Global poverty in an unequal world: Who is considered poor in a rich country? And what does this mean for our understanding of global poverty? Our World in Data.
  40. Shrider, E. A., & Creamer, J. (2023). Poverty in the United States: 2022. U.S. Census Bureau.
  41. Ssekibaala, S. D., & Kasule, T. A. (2023). Examination of the poverty-environmental degradation nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa. Regional Sustainability, 4(3), 296–308.
  42. Stojilovska, A., Dokupilová, D., Gouveia, J. P., Bajomi, A. Z., Tirado-Herrero, S., Feldmár, N.,...
  43. Feenstra, M. (2023). As essential as bread: Fuelwood use as a cultural practice to cope with energy poverty in Europe. Energy Research & Social Science, 97, Article 102987.
  44. Suppa, N. (2022). Multidimensional poverty in Europe: A longitudinal perspective [Working paper]. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, University of Oxford.
  45. Taiwo, A. E., Oluwole, A. F., & Ayooluwa, A. O. (2022). A viable entrepreneurship education as an antidote for eradication of poverty and unemployment among youths in Nigeria. Journal of Business Management and Accounting, 12(1), 97–115.
  46. Thorbecke, E. (2013). Multidimensional poverty: Conceptual and measurement issues. In N. Kakwani & J. Silber (Eds.), The many dimensions of poverty (3–19). Palgrave Macmillan.
  47. Uitto, J. I. (2016). The environment-poverty nexus in evaluation: Implications for the Sustainable Development Goals. Global Policy, 7(3), 441–447.
  48. Ummulkhayr, A. (2018). Internationalization of zakah management for poverty alleviation among Muslims in the 21st century. Journal of Business Management and Accounting, 8(1), 1–15.
  49. United Nations. (2023). Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Towards a rescue plan for people and planet. United Nations.
  50. Wan, G., & Sebastian, I. (2011). Poverty in Asia and the Pacific: An update (ADB Economics Working Paper No. 267). Asian Development Bank.