‫المستجدات الاقتصادية والاجتماعية في اليمن‬

YEMEN g

Ministry of Planning
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
UPDATE
& International Cooperation
Economic Studies & Forecasting

Issue (75) August-2022

Poverty in Yemen Part One

Monetary Poverty .. Child Food Poverty

In This Edition Introduction

I
Poverty arises from the interaction of economic, political and social
processes that exacerbate extreme poverty among men, women and children
from the marginalized, displaced and vulnerable groups. In many cases,
Trends in Headcount addressing the root causes of poverty entails a long-term commitment to
improve the living conditions of people experiencing multiple forms of
Monetary Poverty in Yemen deprivations.
Therefore, eradicating poverty is one of the biggest challenges facing the

II
entire world, which placed it as Goal # 1 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Indicators related to SDGs include the monetary poverty
measure, in addition to the multidimensional poverty measure. The World Bank
Trends in Monetary Child is also working on developing indicators of international poverty lines.
For Yemen, poverty is wide reach and remains a major and chronic challenge
Poverty in Yemen to socioeconomic development. It is the main cause and inevitable consequence
of problems Yemen has been through. Therefore, Yemen continues to be ranked

III
among the least developed and poorest countries regionally and globally.
Considering that poverty data in Yemen are mainly based on the 2014 HBS;
which in itself a challenge given the gap in poverty data, and lack of national
Trends in Child Food Poverty approach for multidimensional poverty. However, and in response to the urgent
and timely needs to recognize the complex characteristics and features of
poverty in Yemen, this issue of the YSEU Bulletin will single out two issues (two

Annex I parts) for poverty, although this shall not negate the fact that a more in-depth
study of poverty in Yemen is needed, to better address with its various indicators
and multiple dimensions across the entire population, and children in particular.
Terminology and Definitions Part I (this bulletin) explores trends in headcount monetary poverty (women
- men, urban- rural, and intra governorate data, while highlighting poverty gaps
and intensity levels. The same indicators and trends are also applied for
Annex II children, as they make up a broad segment of Yemeni society, and are at the
same time, the most affected by poverty in terms of incidence rate, and the
potential the risks and adverse consequences at the medium and long term,
Yemen and the New Global making investment in Yemeni children vital and indispensable, especially at the
present. Without such investment, Yemen will not be able to achieve the
Poverty Lines (compared with demographic dividend and future peace; and the question of prosperity will
some Arab countries and the remain at stake. This issue will also shed more light on child food poverty, which
UNICEF measures using the Early Childhood Dietary Diversity Score to prevent
World) future generations of children from falling into poverty.

In continuation of issuing the YSEU bulletin on a regular basis, enhancing its quality and expanding its coverage of economic and
Notice

development issues, we would like to draw your kind attention that (starting from this issue), the bulletin will be issued every two
months - as a trial period in order to evaluate its worthiness, and feasibility later - and to give it due time to collect data, do the
analysis, review the content, including proofreading and translation into English. In the meantime, we will remain open to any ideas
or proposals for improvement.
 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Facts and Indicators*

* All these facts and indicators are referred to throughout in this issue. It should be noted, however, that most data on poverty indicators
for Yemen are based mainly on the Household Budget Survey 2014, as well as on the Demographic Health Survey 2013, unless otherwise
stipulated.

2 Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

I: Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

The issue of poverty has been gaining considerable global attention, including the studies, plans and programs
adopted by some international and international institutions to eliminate or reduce poverty. To do so, the areas,
causes, characteristics and indicators of poverty must be understood, to identify the gaps and forms of poverty, and
thereby reducing and eliminating, including through interventions that contribute to increasing income levels and
lifting people out of poverty.

The Household Budget Survey (HBS), which is a Multi-Indicator Survey, is considered the most important
statistical tool next to the population census. It provides a massive database that can be used to come up with the
poverty map at the level of the smallest administrative units in the Republic of Yemen (village). The last such survey
was conducted in 2014, preceded by that of 2006. This type of survey is a primary source of poverty data, which are
useful for International estimates, according to the United Nations and the World Bank, including replicated Yemen
poverty indicators estimates for the World Bank 2017. They also help to fill the gaps in data about the living conditions
during conflict and war: considering the security situation in the Republic of Yemen, and that there is only a little
chance to conduct conventional household surveys that are representative of the entire population. Nonetheless,
disaggregated well-being statistics are highly and urgently needed, as the situation on the ground is changing rapidly,
driven by what the UN labelled as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Monthly mobile surveys are conducted to
assess food security and coping mechanisms. These surveys have recently been expanded to include additional
dimensions on social welfare in the context of war and conflict. Data plays a crucial role in partially addressing the
severe gaps in data about humanitarian and development assistance to the country 1. Although this methodology and
data it generates cannot said to be an efficient and accurate statistical tool, yet it gives provides us with some
information as to how the trends of the phenomenon under study.

Headcount Monetary Poverty Indicators

Money-metric poverty measures rely only on household expenditure and consumption measures. In money-
metric poverty measures 2, a poverty line is constructed and the household expenditure/consumption is compared
against this poverty line. A family is considered as poor (in money-metric terms) if their expenditure/consumption is
below the poverty line. 3

National Poverty Line 4

Figure (1) shows that poverty in Yemen is a chronic phenomenon, with about 48.6 per cent of the population living
below the national poverty line, according to the 2014 HBS. Meanwhile, the conflict and war has had a severe impact
on the economy, which was already fragile, considering that the proportion of the poor increased sharply between
2014 and 2016. It is estimated that the poverty rate reached 76.9 per cent in 2016. Others estimates show that the
poverty rate increased to 77.9 per cent in 2017, up to 78.8 per cent in 2018. Amid continuing economic downturn and
difficult humanitarian situation, estimates of poverty rates have soared to exceed 80 per cent during 2022. This means
that 80 per cent of Yemenis can no longer access essential food and non-food needs. Essential non-food needs include
housing, clothing, education, health and telecoms.

1
Fragility and Conflict, On the Front Lines of the Fight against Poverty. 2020 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / the World Bank. P69.
2
Given the narrow scope of this issue to cover all methodologies, Annex 1 includes different terms and definitions of monetary and multidimensional poverty,
as well as indicators related to child poverty, in addition to measurment methods for key MPI measures or indicators, based on the Global MPI and relevant
works by UNICEF and the World Bank.
3
ESCWA, UNICEF, Arab Multidimensional Poverty Report, 2017.
4
See Annex 1.

3 Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Figure (1): The Share of Population below the Poverty Line in Yemen; (%)
90%
77.9% 78.8% 80.0%
80% 76.9%

70%
60%
48.6%
50% 41.8%
40% 34.8%
30%
19.1%
20%
10%
0%
1992 1998 2005 2014 2016 2017 2018 2022
Source:
- Data year (1992), Arab Monetary Fund, Joint Arab Economic report,2021.
- Data for the years (1998-2018), HBS 2014, Main Outcome Report, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Central Statistical Organization 2019,
Indicators of Sustainable Development Goals in the Republic of Yemen,2018.
- Data year (2022), Yemen Humanitarian Needs Overview 2022. April 2022.

Indicators of monetary poverty disaggregated by urban- rural and

male-female
The population of rural areas constitutes about 70% of the total population in Yemen, compared to 30% in urban
areas. Table (1) below shows that poverty in Yemen takes on a rural character, as 59.2% of the rural population live
poverty, compared to 23.9% in urban areas, according to the Household Budget Survey 2014. This means rural areas
embrace almost three times the urban poor.

It is expected that this percentage will be much higher at present. The rural-urban disparity in the poverty rate is
due to many reasons, topped by declining agricultural sector, which is closely linked to the rural areas, where about
70% of the population lives. In addition, the limited funding opportunities, low agricultural sector output, the
economic downturn, the spiking transportation costs due to fuel shortages and soaring food prices, as well as the
driving factors triggered by water scarcity and the declining water resources pose permanent challenges in rural
areas. 5

Table (1): Numerical and percentile distribution of Yemen’s population by poverty level,
household head and urban-rural; (%)
Urban Rural Total
Poverty level Women & Women Women &
Women Men Women Men Women Men
Men & Men Men
000 603 5,360 5,963 365 7,037 7,403 969 12,397 13,366
% of women
Non-poor 10.1% 89.9% 100% 4.9% 95.1% 100% 7.2% 92.8% 100%
& men
% of Total 79.9% 75.7% 76.1% 28.0% 41.8% 40.8% 47.0% 51.8% 51.4%
000 152 1,723 1,874 942 9,798 10,740 1,094 11,520 12,614
% of women
Poor 8.1% 91.9% 100% 8.8% 91.2% 100% 8.7% 91.3% 100%
& men
% of Total 20.1% 24.3% 23.9% 72.1% 58.2% 59.2% 53.0% 48.2% 48.6%
000 755 7,082 7,838 1,307 16,835 18,142 2,063 23,917 25,980
% of women
Total 9.6% 90.4% 100% 7.2% 92.8% 100% 7.9% 92.1% 100%
& men
% of Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Source:
- HBS 2014, Main Outcome Report.
- United Nations Population Fund, Women and Men in Yemen Report, 2018.

5
Yemen Humanitarian Needs Overview 2022 (April 2022).
https://reliefweb.int/attachments/41763028-2b21-3172-ab7f-64f7ae908e57/Yemen_HNO_2022%20-%20Final%20Version%20%281%29.pdf

4 Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Women are affected most by poverty. The table above shows that the poverty rate among households headed by
women 6 stands at 53.0 per cent nationally (HHs headed by women in Yemen account for 7.9% in Ymen). In rural
areas, it rises to 72.1 per cent compared to 20.1 per cent in urban areas. This rate is relatively high compared to
poverty among male-headed households (48.2%) nationally, about (58.2%) in rural areas and (24.3%) in urban areas.

Poverty gap and poverty intensity indicators 7

The poverty gap index is an indicator describing the state of poverty. The larger the poverty gap, the poorer people
below the poverty line, on average. Hence, more resources are needed to pull all the poor population out of poverty.
Table (2) shows that the poverty gap and intensity have increased in Yemen. The poverty gap increased from 9.5% to
15.5% during the two rounds of HBS in 2005/2006 and 2014. As for the intensity of poverty, measured by squared
poverty gap index, it rose from 3.6% to 6.7%, i.e. doubled between 2005/2006 and 2014, indicating an increase in the
intensity of poverty. According to the 2014 HBS, the poverty gap among the population in rural areas rises to 19.3%,
or about three times higher than in urban areas (6.6%).

Table (2): Trends in urban-rural poverty gap and intensity indicators (% of population)

2006/2005 2014

National Urban Rural National Urban Rural

Headcount poverty rate 35.4 17.5 42.1 48.6 23.6 59.2
Poverty gap 9.5 3.8 11.7 15.5 6.6 19.3
Squared poverty gap 3.6 1.3 4.5 6.7 2.6 8.5
Source: World Bank, Yemen Poverty Notes 2017

Indicators of poverty gap and intensity by urban- rural and male-female

Figure (2) shows that the poverty gap among households headed by women was 17.3%, compared to the poverty
gap among households headed by men, which was 15.3 %. As for the countryside, the poverty gap among households
headed by women was 23.9%, compared to 19.3 % among households headed by men.

Figure (2): Poverty gap by household Figure (3): Poverty intensity by household
head and urban – rural status; (%) head and urban-rural status; (%)
30 12 10.3
23.9
25 10 8.5 8.4
19.3 19 7.4
20 17.3 8 6.7 6.7
15.5 15.3
15 6
10 6.6 6.6 5.8 4 2.6 2.6 2.3
5 2
0 0
Men

Men

Men
Men & Women

Women

Men & Women

Women

Men & Women

Women

Men

Men

Men
Men & Women

Women

Men & Women

Women

Men & Women

Women

Republic Urban Rural Republic Urban Rural

Source: United Nations Population Fund, Women and Men in Yemen Report, 2018.

Figure (3) shows that the intensity of poverty in Yemen reaches 6.7% nationally, and stands at 7.4% among female-
headed HHs. This percentage increases in rural areas to 10.3% for woman- headed HHs. As for households headed
by men, the percentage of severe poverty is better compared to woman- headed households at 6.7% nationally, 2.6%
for urban, and 8.4% for rural areas. This gap and intensity is expected to be more at present, especially in rural areas,
conflict-affected areas across all governorates, including the most vulnerable IDPs, women, children, the elderly, and
people with disabilities, marginalized people, and people in critical need.

6
There are no statistics on women monetary poverty because the household expenditure and income surveys (including the 2014 Household Budget Survey)
do measurements at the household level, while the available data represent statistics on women poverty among households headed by a woman. It gives a
picture of women's poverty. For more details see: Women and Men Report 2018, United Nations Population Fund and Central Statistical Organization.
7
See Annex 1

5 Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Low participation by Yemeni women in the labor market, especially household heads, and the lack of a stable
income is considered the main reason for the poverty among women with their family members. Key reasons that
reduced the percentage of women's participation in the labor market, and thus turned those women and their
families poor, is being a "housewife – fully devoted to the family business" cited by 64.9% (HBS 2014), followed by
“getting old” with 31.1%. This means that 96% of women who are heading their households do not have a stable
income. 8 The ILO confirmed these results in Yemen (HBS 2014), and concluded that " households headed by women
are at greater risk of poverty than those headed by men due to limited access to high-paying jobs and lack of assets,
and because women are solely responsible for housework and do not have enough time to advance in education or
training and then continue to be trapped in a cycle of poverty” 9

Population below the poverty line in Yemen by governorate

The Yemen Household Budget Survey (HBS) 2014 provides a useful snapshot of income and non-income
dimensions of poverty in 2014. Even though Yemen has undergone dramatic changes since the year of data collection,
this section presents a poverty profiles for Yemen based on the 2014 round of the HBS. There is a sizeable variation
in headcount poverty rates between governorates. Figure (4) shows Sada’a and Amran were the poorest
governorates, with headcount poverty rates of 84.5 percent and 75.9 percent, respectively. The incidence of poverty
was lowest in Sana’a City, at 13.4 percent of the population. Aden, the second-largest city in the country, had a
headcount poverty rate of 22.2 percent. Most of the population of the Republic of Yemen lives in the western part of
the country, so a high level of poverty in these governorates contributes significantly to national poverty estimates.
In fact, Hodeida, Ibb, Taiz and Hajjah were the governorates with the largest poor populations in the country. Although
all poverty forecasts indicate a significant increase in 2016-2020, it is important to note that the poverty rate in 2014
was already high in most Yemeni governorates. 10

Figure (4): Headcount poverty rate by governorate in 2014 plus 2020 estimates; (%) 85.8

91.6

91.5

93

93.0
84.5
100

91
82.9

89
81.3
80.0
78.3

85

84
77.1

83
83

75.9
90
72.4

79
78

69.1
75

80

63.9
62.7

60.7
60.6
67

59.8
58.1
57.8
56.6
55.4

70
59

50.1
49.5
48.6

48.6

60
42.1

42.1
41.4
39.2

50
31.1
25.9

40
22.2

30
13.4

20
10
0

2014 2020
Source: World Bank, Yemen Poverty Notes 2017. June 2017. p 21. The 2020 estimates based on governorate reports and situation analysis for 2020.

Share of population below the national poverty line in Yemen vs. Arab
countries
Figure (5) shows that Yemen in ranked top among Arab states in terms of the proportion of the population living
below the national poverty line. The percentage in Yemen rose from 80 per cent to more than three times the average
in the Arab countries (26.9%). Countries very much close to the situation in Yemen were Lebanon, Somalia, Syria and
Sudan with an estimated percentage of 73%, 68.9%, 63.2% and 32.5%, respectively. This confirms the need to support
social protection programs to continue delivering their services at time of social upheavals more than ever. 11

8
United Nations Population Fund and CSO, Women and Men in Yemen Report, 2018.
9
International Labour Organization, LFS in Yemen, 2014.
10
World Bank, Yemen Poverty Notes 2017, June 2017. P 16
11
Brune, Lasse; Karlan, Dean; Kurdi, Sikandra; and Udry, Christopher R. 2020. Social protection amidst social upheaval: Examining the impact of a multi-
faceted program for ultra-poor households in Yemen. NBER Working Paper No. 27583. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
https://www.nber.org/papers/w27583

6 Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Figure (5): The share of population below the national poverty line in Yemen vs. Arab countries*; (%)
90 80.0
80 68.9 73.0
70 63.2
60
50
40 28.3 28.6 29.3 32.5
26.9
30 18.9
12.4 15.2 15.8
20
10 2.7 3.3
0

Source Based on:

- Arab Monetary Fund, Joint Arab Economic Report 2021.
- ESCWA, UNICEF, Arab Multidimensional Poverty Report, 2017.
- World Development Indicators, Poverty and Shared Prosperity. Poverty rates at national poverty lines. 2022 The World Bank Group.
- Yemen Humanitarian Needs Overview 2022 (April 2022).
- *Taking into account that the data Year is not the same, but differs according to national poverty surveys in all countries, as stated in the source

Monetary poverty and average per capita GDP in Yemen

Poverty rates are generally related to literature on the distribution of income and wealth. The more the per capita
GDP decreases, the higher poverty rates we have, especially among the vulnerable categories 12. Stats in Figure (6)
show that the per capita GDP in current dollar prices approximate with poverty rates during the period 2005-2014.
Since 2015, the per capita GDP fell from $ 1,547 in 2014 to $ 644 in 2021, reaching $ 872 in 2022. In other words, the
headcount poverty rate increased from 48.6% in 2014 to about 80% in 2022.

Figure (6): Per capita GDP at current prices in US dollar and % of population below the national
poverty line in Yemen during (2005-2022)
1800 90%
1600 80%
1400 70%
1200 60%
1000 50%
800 40%
600 30%
400 20%
200 10%
0 0%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

GDP per capita in current prices ($) Poverty Rate (%)

Source: Based on sources of Fig (1)

IMF, World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022.

Figure (7) shows that Yemen has the highest poverty rate compared to other Arab countries by 80%, or $ 644 per
capita, on average. Drivers behind this acceleration in poverty in Yemen include chronic structural factors, further
intensified by the continued war and conflict which led to the devaluation of the Yemeni Riyal against foreign
currencies, erosion of the purchasing power, and contraction of economic activity. As a result, more and more Yemeni
households were pushed into poverty, reflecting the rapidly declining per capita GDP.

12
Arab Monetary Fund, Joint Arab Economic Report, 2021

7 Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Figure (7): Per capita GDP in Yemen compared to other Arab countries at current prices
($ /capita) and poverty rate by national poverty line; (%)
7,000 90
5,863 80
6,000
5,021 80.0 70
5,000 4,412 73.0
3,934 3,897 4,144 68.9 60
4,000 3,660 3,451 63.2
3,365 50
32.5 2,744 40
3,000 2,333
30
2,000 1,487
12.4 28.3 28.6 29.3 20
26.9 772 644
1,000 2.7 3.3 502
18.9 10
15.2 15.8
0 0

GDP per capita, current prices in dollars

Poverty rate according to the national poverty line%
Source: Arab Monetary Fund, Joint Arab Economic Report, 2021
UNU-WIDER, Database, World Income Inequality Database – WIID. 30June 2022. https://www.wider.unu.edu/database/world-income-inequality-database-wiid

The Russia-Ukraine war and its Impacts on poverty in Yemen

The Russia-Ukraine war continues to have dire adverse impact on people around the world, as the sharp rise in
prices for basic food commodities including wheat and supply shortages are putting more pressure on families
around the world, and pushing millions into poverty. This risk is more severe on the poorest countries, which depend
largely on food imports. The World Bank estimates that with every percentage point increase in food prices, 10 million
people fall into extreme poverty worldwide. 13

As for Yemen, the share of its food imports is high, reaching almost 4 times the global average, with food imports
account for 39 per cent of total commodity imports. This increases the risks of food insecurity due to the adverse
impact of soaring food prices on the standard of living, erosion of purchasing power and increasing inflationary
pressures, which further the phenomenon of poverty and famine.

Therefore, the World Bank report dated April 17, 2022 confirms that the increase in food and energy prices is
harming the poor in Yemen, which drives more than 24 million Yemenis (83% of the population) to be food insecure.
Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine war may exacerbate poverty levels in Yemen, because the vulnerable population will
be exposed to extreme poverty 14 , while high inflation will increase the number of poor in Yemen by 6 percentage
points 15 .

This clearly shows that the poverty situation in Yemen is very worrying, and may drive poverty and inequality
levels further up, and exacerbate the living conditions among this category which is already suffering extreme poverty.
Therefore, rigorous efforts must be exerted to improve living conditions and livelihhods of the people from the
poorest and most in need groups.

13
Joint Statement: The Heads of the World Bank Group, IMF, WFP and WTO Call for Urgent Coordinated Action on Food Security. April 13, 2022.
https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2022/04/13/pr22117-joint-statement-wbg-imf-wfp-and-wto-call-for-urgent-coordinated-action-on-food-security
14
World Bank, Bulletin d’information économique pour la région MENA (avril 2022) - Confrontation avec la réalité : prévisions de croissance
dans la région Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord en période d’incertitude. Posted:17 APR 2022 .p17.
15
World Bank, High Food Prices - A Harsh New Reality. http://web.worldbank.org/archive/website01055/WEB/0__C-184.HTM

8 Trends in Headcount Monetary Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

II: Trends in Monetary Child Poverty in Yemen

Monetary child poverty is typically defined as a share of children living in households below the poverty line,
according to UNICEF’s practical guide to the analysis of monetary poverty issued in March 2022. Monetary poverty is
defined at household level, not individual level. Members of a household are defined as poor if they have a
consumption or income level below the poverty line threshold. A monetary poor child is a child living in a monetary
poor household. 16

Box (1): Why measuring child poverty is important

Measuring child poverty is a necessary starting point in ending child poverty, but it is only the beginning.
Robust child poverty data can translate into the design, prioritization and implementation of the right mix of
policies and programmes, with high political support, to address child poverty.
UNICEF works with the WB and UN partners to adopt a multi-sectorial national policy agendas for the poorest
children and their families, and to ensure addressing child poverty and promoting inclusive economic growth is
a national, regional and global priority. At the policy design: in 2021, UNICEF COs supported the design of
policies, strategies and programmes for addressing child poverty in 78 countries. UNICEF also supports child
poverty measurement in over 100 countries. Through a comprehensive child poverty analysis, it jointly analyzed
and produced national child poverty reports in over 100 countries.
In the Global Report for Children Living in Monetary Poverty issued by the World Bank and UNICEF in 2021,
the World Bank placed Yemen among 10 countries in the world that suffer the highest ratio of children living in
monetary poverty, which calls for urgent need to conduct large scale study on child poverty in Yemen.

Source: UNICEF’s Commitment to Ending Child Poverty and Achieving the SDGs: Measurement, Advocacy and Evidence Based Policies. June 2022.
CHILD POVERTY REPORTS. End Childhood Poverty. http://www.endchildhoodpoverty.org/child-poverty-reports
Global Estimate of Children in Monetary Poverty: An Update. World Bank, 2021.
* UNICEF and the Central Statistical Organization are currently conducting a joint Multi Indicator Cluster Survey focusing on children and women. Based
on the surevy results, we plan to prepare a separate analytical study on multidimensional child poverty.

Child Poverty Indicators by Age Group

Mapping households in monetary poverty is important to measure the ratio of children in those households. For
instance, monetary poor HHS cannot afford to provide the minimum standard of living to their children 17 . Figure (8)
shows that children in Yemen suffer the highest rates of poverty among all age groups of the population. The poverty
rate in the age group (0-17 years) rises to 53.4% compared to the national poverty rate of 48.6%.

The poverty gap index for children was 17.5%, while the poverty intensity index reached 7.7%, according to the
HBS 2014, which is higher than the gap and intensity of poverty among the rest of population (men and women),
amounting to 15.5% and 6.7% for both indicators, respectively, according to Figures 2 and 3, It means that the cost of
poverty eradication for children is higher than for other age groups.

Figure (8): The share of population below the national poverty line by age group; (%)
60 52.4 53.0 54.9 53.8 53.4
50.2 48.6
44.2 47.0 46.3 46.6 44.8 45.4
50 43.1 41.5 41.3 42.0
40
30
20
10
0

Source: Household Budget Survey in Yemen, 2014.

16
UNICEF, A practical guide to monetary poverty analysis Informing policies and programmes to address child poverty. March 2022.
17
UNICEF, Measuring and monitoring child poverty. Position paper, March 2020. https://data.unicef.org/resources/measuring-and-monitoring-child-poverty/

9 Trends in Monetary Child Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

The data also indicate high incidence of poverty among all age groups of children, rising to 54.9% among the age
group (5-9 years), which is generally less than the rest of groups. Child poverty is a persistent problem in Yemen, while
the conflict and war have aggravated this phenomenon among children living in low-income families. This affects the
next generations of young people in Yemen, limits educational attainment, impairs health outcomes and prevents
children from enjoying their basic rights.

Urban-rural incidence of child poverty by governorate

Understanding child poverty levels and analyzing where these children live, and child poverty geographical
concentration are key inputs in designing and implementing effective interventions to improve children's living
conditions. Figure (9) shows that rural children are at a higher risk of poverty than urban children, with the proportion
of rural poor children ranging from 60% to 64.6%, which is twice as high as their urban counterparts (less than 30%).

Children under five in rural areas are at higher risk of poverty compared to their counterparts in urban areas.
These rates reach the highest among children under one year in rural areas, reaching 64.6% compared to 23.1% in
urban areas. This underscores the need to give rural poor children the top priority as part of any rural protection and
development efforts and anti-poverty strategies.

Figure (9): Incidence of child poverty by age group and urban-rural status; (%)
70 64.6 62.6 64.0 63.1 62.9
60.0
60 52.4 53.0 54.9 53.8 53.4
50.2
50
40
28.3 29.1 27.4
30 25.8 26.0
23.1
20
10
0
Below one year 4–1 9–5 14 – 10 17- 15 17 - 0

Total Rural Urban

Source: Household Budget Survey in Yemen, 2014

With regard to the prevalence of child poverty by governorate, the data in Figure (10) show that Sa’ada, Amran
and Lahj governorates account for the highest child poverty rates ranging from 87 per cent to 70 per cent. There are
also ten governorates reported prevalence rates ranging from 68.1 per cent to 56 per cent. In the rest of the
governorates, child poverty stands at 48 per cent and 16.8 per cent. Overall, 13 governorates have child poverty rates
higher than the national average of 53.4%.

Figure (10): Child poverty rates in Yemen by governorate; (%)

100
87
90 79.7
80 73.3 70
68.1 64.8
70 63.9 63
59.7 59.5 57.8 57.4 56.7 56
60 53.4
48 44.6 44.2
50 42.2
40 33.6
28.2 26.6
30
16.8
20
10
0
Sa'ada

Mahweet

Shabwa

Al Baidha'a
Amran

Lahj

Hajja

Dhalea'a

Ibb

Mahara

Jawf

Raymah

Dharmar

Marib
Taiz

Amanat Al Asima
Abyan
Hadhramout

Hodiedah

Socotra

Republic

Sanaa

Aden

Source: HBS 2014 Main Outcome Report

10 Trends in Monetary Child Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Household size and child poverty

The manifestations of poverty are most felt among
women-headed households with children. It appears that Figure (11): Poverty rates by number of
there is a clear positive relationship between household children in female-headed Households; (%)
size and poverty incidence, with larger households more
likely to be poor (Figure 11), according to HBS 2014. The 100 89.5 87.5 90.2
incidence of poverty for households who had two 76.9
children was 36.5%. This increases to 50.6% if the 80
61.1

Poverty rate
household had thr ee children, and to 61.1% in families
with four children, further to 76.9% in families with five 60 50.6
children, and so on until it reaches 90.2% in families with 36.5
eight children. This means that most of the members in 40
female- headed households with children are in poverty.
It should be emphasized that the proportional 20
relationship between poverty level and the size of the
family is a general phenomenon in most families, 0
according to HBS 2014 data. This requires a shift in 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
priority interventions towards effective planning that
# of children
include the provision of material assistance to HHs with
female supporters with higher number of children. 18 Source: HBS 2014 Main Outcome Report

Child poverty and household head occupation

The largest proportion of poor children live in families headed by working individuals living on agriculture or
fishing 38.5%, followed by workers in crafts and other professions 13.3%, and then workers in services and sellers in
shops with 11.2% 19.

Child poverty and the household head level of education

There is a positive association between the level of education and households not being in child poverty 20. In
Yemen, children living in households with heads who are illiterate or literate are 46.5 per cent more likely to be poor.
In comparison, households with heads having basic and secondary education had a significantly lower poverty rate
of 32.9 per cent and 14.2 per cent, respectively. As for households headed by parents with university or higher, the
rate stands at 6.4 per cent. 21

The share of children living in monetary poverty in Yemen vs. Arab region
and globally
Monetary poverty plays compromises the realization of other rights with long-term impact, since experiencing
vulnerabilities at this age would deep the harmful effects of poverty and irreversibly affect their ability to develop.
Although the problem of child poverty is part of a larger issue in Yemen and many other countries in the Arab region
and the worldwide, it shows that only meager development efforts made to date to address the multiple types of
deprivation, with it causes on children. This is issue that requires further attention by policy-makers and other
stakeholders working in the area of child development and human development in generall. One important step
would be placing children high on the list of anti-poverty agenda, including urgent need and better asssiatnce to
children and their families, through tailored social protection programs seeking to lift future generations out of
poverty and deprivation cycle, and eventually to achieve the national goals for medium-term development 22.
Outcome analysis of the report on Global Estimate of Children in Monetary Poverty (Yemen’s data for 2017
accoording to the WB 2020 Document) 23 shows that children in Yemen are the worst, as almost 56.6% of all children
in Yemen younger than 18 years live in extremely poor families, which is three times up compared to global average
of 17.5%, and six times up than in other Arab countries, see Figure (12).

18
UNICEF and CSO, Household Budget Survey 2014, p 428
19
Household Budget Survey 2014, p 428
20
ESCWA, UNICEF, Arab Multidimensional Poverty Report, 2017.
21
Household Budget Survey 2014
22
UNICEF and Ministry of Planning, Baghdad, Iraq, 2017. Child Poverty in Iraq: Analysis of Child Poverty Trends and Policy Recommendations for the National
Poverty Reduction Strategy 2017-2021.
23
Global Estimate of Children in Monetary Poverty: An Update (English). Poverty and Equity discussion paper Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group, 2020/10/20

11 Trends in Monetary Child Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Figure (12): % of children living in monetary poverty in Yemen vs. Arab region
and global average in 2017; (%)

Yemen 56.6
Globally 17.5
Sudan 9.9
Mauritania 7.5
Egypt 5.8
Iraq 2.2
Palestine 1.4
Morocco 1
Tunisia 0.5
Jordan 0.4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Source:
Global Estimate of Children in Monetary Poverty: An Update (English). Poverty and Equity discussion paper Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.2020/10/20
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/966791603123453576/Global-Estimate-of-Children-in-Monetary-Poverty-An-Update

12 Trends in Monetary Child Poverty in Yemen

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

III: Trends in Child Food Poverty

Child food poverty: a state where young

children are not fed the bare minimum
number of food groups they need in early
childhood to grow and develop to their full
potential. UNICEF and WHO define minimum
dietary diversity as the percentage of children
6–23 months of age consuming foods and
beverages from at least five out of eight
defined food groups during the previous day.
Child Food Poverty Concept: 24 children
living in food poverty are defined as the
percentage of children under 5 years of age
consuming foods and beverages from four or
fewer of the eight defined food groups. We
distinguish between:
Box (2): Food groups used to tabulate child
food poverty indicator
The 8 food groups used to tabulate this indicator are:
1) breast milk; 2) grains, roots, tubers and plantains; 3) vitamin-A-
rich fruits and vegetable; 4) flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry, organ
meats) ; 5) Pulses (beans, peas, lentils), nuts and seeds; 6) eggs;
7) other fruits and vegetables; 8) dairy products. If child is fed:
0-2 food groups/day, they live in severe food poverty
3-4 food groups/day, they experience moderate food poverty
5 or more food groups/day, they meet the minimum dietary
Diversity
Source: Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York,
October 2022.

Severe child food poverty: The percentage of children under 5 consuming foods and beverages from zero, one
or two out of eight defined food groups during the previous day.

Moderate child food poverty: The percentage of children under five 5 consuming foods and beverages from
three or four out of eight defined food groups during the previous day.

Child food poverty in Yemen vs. MENA region

Figure (13) shows that Yemen faces greater challenges than other countries, as 1 in 3 children under five lives in
severe food poverty. The percentage of children under 5 consuming foods and beverages from zero, one or two out
of eight defined food groups is high reaching 30.2 per cent in Yemen, i.e. ten percentage points more than average in
MENA countries (20%). Likewise, the percentage of children under 5 consuming foods and beverages from three or
four out of eight defined food groups makes up for 48.5 per cent in Yemen, compared to 40 per cent in MENA countries.
This explains the high percentage of younger children in Yemen who are not fed the minimum food groups they need
in early childhood, which signals that child food poverty in Yemen has reached crisis levels.

Figure (13): Percentage of children living in severe food poverty and moderate food poverty
in Yemen vs. MENA region

MENA 20% 40%

Yemen 30.2% 48.5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Severe child food poverty Moderate child food poverty

Source: UNICEF Global databases, Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022.
https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-food-poverty/

Child Food Poverty by Governorate

Figure (14) shows that Al-Dhale’a governorate had the lowest prevalence rate of moderate child food poverty at
about 34%, followed by Sana'a City at about 40%. While Shabwah and Taiz had the highest rates with about 59% and
56%, respectively. However, it is noticeable that although Dhale’a recorded the lowest rate of moderate child food
poverty, yet it had at the same time the highest prevalence rate of severe child food poverty, followed by Ibb

24
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022.
https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-food-poverty/

13 Trends in Child Food Poverty

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

governorate with about 53% and 41%, respectively. Meanwhile, Sana'a City recorded the lowest prevalence rate of
severe child food poverty with 12.7%, followed by Aden with 13.6%.

Figure (14): Severe and Moderate Child Food Poverty by Governorate; (%)

59.0
70

55.8
54.9
54.1
52.8

50.9

50.2
49.9
49.6

49.5

48.6
47.9

47.3
46.8
60 46.6

46.5

45.7

44.8

43.1
42.7

41.0

40.1
38.9

38.8
37.5
50

36.0
34.2

33.9
32.8

32.5

31.8
31.5

30.2
29.2

28.4

27.0
40

26.3
22.0

21.3
30
15.4
13.6

12.7
20
10
0

Severe Moderate
Source: UNICEF Global databases, Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022.
https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-food-poverty/

Severe child food poverty (0-2 food groups/day) in Yemen

Based on the Child Food Poverty Report issued in October 2022, some 4.1 million children in Yemen, out of 11.3
million children in countries experiencing crises, experienced severe food poverty in 2022, representing about 30% of
children in Yemen. In other words, nearly 36.3 per cent of children in severe food poverty inside countries in conflict
and crises, live in Yemen. 25
Figure (15) shows that 30.2% of children in Yemen live in severe food poverty, and the ratio between males and
females is very much the same, with 29.7% for males and 30.6% for females. In Yemen, severe food poverty among
children varies greatly among children according urban-rural status, reaching 18.2% in urban areas compared to 34.4%
in rural areas. This means that children living in rural areas are more exposed to severe food poverty than children
living in urban areas.

Figure (15): National severe child food poverty in Yemen (0-2 food groups/day) by gender,
urban-rural status, age groups 6-23 months and wealth quintile; (%)
45 41.4
36.8 38.0
40 34.4
35 30.2 30.6 31.6
29.7
30 24.9 24.8
24.0 23.8
25 21.7
18.2
20 15.1
15
10
5
0

Source: UNICEF Global databases, Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022.
https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-food-poverty/

Across age groups, data indicate that the percentage of severe food poverty among children aged 6-11 months is
highest at 41.4%, but fells to 21.7% among children aged 20-23 months. This means that younger children (6-11
months) experience severe food poverty more than other groups.

25
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022

14 Trends in Child Food Poverty

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Severe child food poverty exposes the inequalities between the richest and poorest families. Globally, the
prevalence of severe child food poverty is 1.5 times higher among children living in the poorest households (1st wealth
quintile) and (2nd wealth quintile) with 36.8% and 38%, respectively, compared to 15.1% in the wealthiest households
(5th wealth quintile).
Children living in severe food poverty are particularly vulnerable to severe stunting and wasting- the most common
life-threatening form of undernutrition in early childhood – which can increase children’s risk of death by up to 12
times and undermine their ability to reach their full potential. 26 Children under the age of five in Yemen from poor
and rural households are considered more vulnerable to severe food poverty.

Indicators of moderate child food poverty (3- 4 food groups/day) in Yemen

Based on the data in Figure (16), nearly half of the children (48.5%) in Yemen aged 6-23 months experience
moderate child food poverty. Accordingly, half of the U5 children in Yemen cannot consume (3- 4 food groups/day),
and face low dietary diversity in early childhood. Moderate food poverty among male children accounts for 50.5 per
cent, compared to 46.6 per cent for females. In rural areas, it reaches 49.8 per cent vs. 45.1 per cent in urban areas.
By age group for U5 children, 1 in 2 children live in moderate food poverty, while the age group 12-15 months
suffer the most (53.2%).
Regarding the financial situation/wealth quintile for moderately food poor children, data show that some 51.4 per
cent of children in quintile 1 live in moderate child food poverty, compared to 44.7 per cent and 46.6 percent among
children in quintiles 4 and 5, respectively.

Figure (16): National moderate child food poverty in Yemen (3-4 food groups/day) by gender,
urban-rural status, age groups 6-23 months and wealth quintile; (%)
60 53.2
50.5 49.8 50.1 51.0 51.4 49.7 49.1
48.5 46.6 48.4 46.6
50 45.1 44.2 44.7

40

30

20

10

Source: UNICEF Global databases, Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022.
https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-food-poverty/

Low-income and middle-income households struggle hard to provide their children with nutritious food as 1 in 2
children under five live in food poverty. These children are not fed the bare minimum number of food groups they
need in early childhood to grow and develop to their full potential.
At the household level in Yemen, primary underlying causes include increased food prices amidst reduced
incomes and labour opportunities, contributing to poor diet in terms of quantity and quality, as well as low coverage
of sanitation facilities and poor hygiene practices, which have led to a high disease burden 27. As the economic crisis
rages, more households are coping through erosion of their livelihoods (such as the sale of productive assets) and the
adoption of crisis strategies (mainly a high reliance on assistance). Furthermore, households are increasingly
experiencing a vicious debt cycle. They are taking on higher debt levels every month and maxing out their credit levels
to cover basic needs. With such levels of negative coping strategies, many households are precariously exposed. This
calls for robust actions to strengthen health, nutrition and social services systems, in order to provide nutritious, safe
and affordable food and basic services to ensure every child can access food and nutrition, everywhere.
In the eyes of a child, poverty is about more than just money. Very often children experience poverty as the lack
of shelter, education, nutrition, water or health services. The lack of these basic needs often results in deficits that
cannot easily be overcome later in life. Even when not clearly deprived, having poorer opportunities than their peers
in any of the above can limit future opportunities. 28

26
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022. Pp2.
27
UNICEF, Yemen: Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, March 2022 https://www.unicef.org/mena/reports/yemen-food-security-and-nutrition-snapshot.
28
UNICEF, Child poverty. Last update: December 2021. https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-poverty/overview/

15 Trends in Child Food Poverty

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Annex I: Terminology and definitions

Im

Term Definition
It is the border separating the income or consumption by the poor from non-poor. An individual is
considered poor if his/her consumption or income is below which a person’s minimum basic needs.
Poverty line
The minimum basic needs of an individual is defined as the poverty line. Individuals or families whose
concept spending or income is below the poverty line are defined as poor, and families or individuals whose
spending or income is above the poverty line are defined as not poor.
Money-metric poverty measures rely only on household expenditure and consumption measures. In
money-metric poverty measures, a poverty line is constructed and the household
Monetary poverty
expenditure/consumption is compared against this poverty line. A family is considered as poor (in
money-metric terms) if their expenditure/consumption is below the poverty line.
National Poverty Line t is the minimun level of income that a person or family needs to be able to
provide an adequate standard of living in a given country. The absolute or general poverty line is
Absolute or general defined as the lowest level of income and expenditure necessary for an individual to secure basic food
and non-food needs related to housing, clothing, education, health and transportation. food). The
poverty line
general absolute poverty line means that numerical estimate line that is measured by the minimum
(national poverty expenditure to cover an individual's basic needs (food and non-food). It represents the numeric
line) indicator of poverty within the national poverty line (% of the population).
The share of the population living below the national poverty line is defined as the ratio of people living
below the national poverty line to the total population.
Population with income less than $1 per day (purchasing power parity) is defined as the proportion of
International
the population living in households whose income is below the international poverty line, where the
poverty line average daily consumption (or income) per person is less than $1.25
The poverty indicator, which is computed as the percentage of the poor to total population.
poverty
The proportion of the population living below the poverty line is also known as the "population index"
rate/indicator (or "poverty prevalence" or "poverty rate").
.The poverty gap is defined as the size of the monetary gap necessary to raise the spending of the poor
to the level of the poverty line to become non-poor. For comparison purposes, this gap is computed as
a percentage of the total consumption value of the entire population when their consumption level is
equal to the poverty line.
Poverty gap
It is defined as the numerical or monetary difference between the income of a poor individual and the
monety-metric value of the poverty line.
The poverty gap is the mean shortfall from the headcount poverty line counting the non-poor as having
sero shortfall, and expressed as a percentage of the poverty line.
The intensity of poverty is the average of the deprivation levels of all individuals who have been
Intensity of
identified as poor.
poverty It is measured by squared poverty gap index
Absolute poverty measures distinguish between two levels:
Absolute poverty: Income poverty (Monetary poverty):
Absolute poverty line is defined as the lack of consumption necessary for the family or the individual
to secure the basic food needs and required calories needed to carry out the basic day-to-day activities.
Absolute poverty line is defined as the amount of consumption or income necessary for the family or
Absolute poverty the individual to secure the basic food needs and required calories needed to carry out the basic day-
to-day activities.
Absolute poverty (multidimensional poverty):
A household is identified as being in poverty if its deprivation level is equal to or more than one third
of the maximum possible deprivation in the indicators using the less strict poverty deprivation cut-offs
for the indicators. When a household is poor, all its members are identified as so.
Child food poverty Children’s inability to access and consume a minimum diverse diet in early childhood.
Sources:
- UNICEF, A practical guide to monetary poverty analysis Informing policies and programmes to address child poverty. March 2022
- UNICEF, Child Poverty in the Arab States: Analytical Report of Eleven Countries. January 2018.
- World Bank, Handbook on Poverty + Inequality. 2009.
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood. UNICEF, New York, October 2022.
- The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, and Central Statistical Organization, Poverty Indicators in Yemen: Analytical Study for the Period
(2006-2014); August 2018.

16 Terminology and definitions

 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Annex II: Yemen and the New Global Poverty Lines

(compared with some Arab countries and the World)
o The global poverty line provides a useful
global benchmark. As differences in price
levels across the world evolve, the World Bank
updated the global poverty lines in
September 2022 to reflect the new changes.
The new international poverty line of $ 2.15
per person per day replaced the $1.90
poverty line based on 2017 prices. This means
that anyone living on less than $ 2.15 a day is
considered to be living in extreme poverty. 29
Although monetary poverty certainly does
not include all forms of disadvantage, yet it
covers the ability of a family to access the
necessary basic needs such as food, shelter,
clothing, and other goods that can usually be
obtained by purchasing from markets (or self-
provided).
Box (1): World Bank Updated Global Poverty Line
The World Bank updated the global poverty lines in September
2022. The decision, announced in May, follows the release in 2020 of
new purchasing power parities (PPPs)—the main data used to convert
different currencies into a common, comparable unit and account for
price differences across countries. The new extreme poverty line of
$2.15 per person per day, which replaces the $1.90 poverty line, is
based on 2017 PPPs. Here you find more information about this
change and what it means for measuring global poverty.
These new lines of line of $2.15, $3.65 and $6.85 reflect the
standard national poverty lines in low-income countries and
lower-middle-income countries and upper-middle-income
countries for 2017.
For more details, please see
Fact Sheet: An Adjustment to Global Poverty Lines. Sep 14, 2022.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/factsheet/2022/05/02/fact-sheet-an-adjustment-to-
global-poverty-lines

Figure (A): Poverty rates vs. global poverty lines; (%)*

25
% of population % of population
living on less living on less
20
% of poulation < $2.15 a day 19.8
than than
15.3
$6.85/perday $3.65/perday
15
Algeria 36.6 4
Egypt 72.6 22 8.4
10 7.5
Iraq 24.7 2.4 6.5
Morocco 42.1 9.8
5 2.5
Sudan 86.2 49.7
0.5 0.5 1.4
Tunisia 17.9 2.2
0 0.1 0.1
0
Palestine 20.5 3.1
Palestine

Morocco

Egypt

Globally
Jordan

Mauritania
Iraq

Tunisia

Algeria

MENA

Yemen
Sudan
Mauritania 66.8 26.2
Jordan 8.2 0.4
Yemen 85.4 54.4

Source: World Development Indicators, Poverty and Shared Prosperity. Poverty rates at international poverty lines. 2022 The World Bank Group.
http://wdi.worldbank.org/table
Data for Yemen are based on the 2014 survey, taking into account the different years of national surveys n each country

Figure (A) above shows Yemen comparable data across the global poverty lines as follows 30:
1- The percentage of poor at 2.15 dollars a day: it refers to the proportion of the population living on less than $
2.15 a day using 2017 prices adjusted for purchasing power. The percentage of the population living on less than
$ 2.15 per day reached 19.8 per cent in Yemen, which is high compared to the MENA average of 7.5 per cent, and
the global average of 8.4%. This indicates that the percentage of people living in extreme poverty in Yemen is more
than double the world average and that in MENA countries. Though close to the percentage in Sudan of 15.3%, it
is still three times or more than the percentage in other Arab countries such as Mauritania (6.5%), Egypt (2.5%),
Morocco (1.4%), Palestine and Algeria (0.5%) each.
2- The percentage of the poor at $ 3.65 a day: it refers to the proportion of the population living on less than $
3.65 a day expressed in international prices for 2017. Again, the data show that the rate in Yemen stands at 54.4%,
which is five times higher than Morocco (9.8%), twice the rate in Egypt (22%) and Mauritania (26.2%). Moreover,
the percentage of the poor population in Yemen living on less than $ 3.65 a day is over ten times the rate in Tunisia
(2.2%), Iraq (2.4%) and Palestine (3.1%). This percentage is close to that in Sudan (49.7%) and in Morocco (42.1%).
3- The percentage of the poor at $ 6.85 per day: it refers to the proportion of the population living on less than $
6.85 per day expressed in the international prices for 2017. The percentage of the population living on less than
$ 6.85 a day in Yemen was about 85.4%, which is the highest among Arab countries.

29
Fact Sheet: An Adjustment to Global Poverty Lines. Last updated: Sep 14, 2022.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/factsheet/2022/05/02/fact-sheet-an-adjustment-to-global-poverty-lines#2
30
International poverty lines are based on World Development Indicators, Poverty and Shared Prosperity. Poverty rates at national poverty lines. The World
Bank Group, 2022. Available at: World Development Indicators, Poverty and Shared Prosperity. Poverty rates at international poverty lines. 2022 The World
Bank Group. http://wdi.worldbank.org/table

17 Yemen and the New Global Poverty Lines (compared with some Arab countries and the World)
 Issue (75) August - 2022 YEMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPDATE

Main Source and References

1. Central Statistical Organization, Household Budget Survey 2014.

2. UNICEF: Yemen Food Security and Nutrition snapshot 2022.
https://www.unicef.org/mena/reports/yemen-food-security-and-nutrition-snapshot
3. UNICEF, Multidimensional Child Poverty in Egypt, 2017.
4. UNICEF and Ministry of Planning, Baghdad, Iraq, 2017. Child Poverty in Iraq: Analysis of Child Poverty Trends and Policy
Recommendations for the National Poverty Reduction Strategy 2017-2021.
5. The Situation of Children Report in the OIC Member Countries, Organization of Islamic Conference, 2017.
6. ESCWA, Poverty and its Measurement Methods in the ESCWA Region: An Attempt to Build a Database of Poverty Indicators. 2003
7. ESCWA, UNICEF, Arab Multidimensional Poverty Report, 2017.
8. United Nations Development Program, Arab Human Development Report, 2022
9. World Bank, Yemen Poverty Notes 2017, June 2017
10. Arab Monetary Fund, Joint Arab Economic Report 2021.
11. United Nations Population Fund and CSO, Women and Men in Yemen Report, 2018
12. International Labour Organization, LFS in Yemen, 2014.
13. Eradication of Poverty, International Labor Conference, Geneva, 91st session (2003).
14. Brune, Lasse; Karlan, Dean; Kurdi, Sikandra; and Udry, Christopher R. 2020. Social protection amidst social upheaval: Examining the
impact of a multi-faceted program for ultra-poor households in Yemen. NBER Working Paper No. 27583. Cambridge, MA: National
Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). https://www.nber.org/papers/w27583
15. Child poverty and low income: Health impact and health inequalities, Briefing paper first published on 02 October 2018.
https://www.healthscotland.scot/publications/child-poverty-and-low-income-health-impact-and-health-inequalities
16. Citation: Alkire, S., Kanagaratnam, U., and Suppa, N. (2022). The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2022 country results and
methodological note. OPHI MPI Methodological Note 52, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, University of Oxford.
17. Deep Dive on Child Poverty and Social Exclusion – UNICEF. December 2021.
https://www.unicef.org/eca/media/20106/file/Deep%20Dive%20Greece%20-%20Main%20report%20EN.pdf
18. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Multidimensional Poverty in Yemen, 2018.
19. Fact Sheet: An Adjustment to Global Poverty Lines. Last updated: Sep 14, 2022.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/factsheet/2022/05/02/fact-sheet-an-adjustment-to-global-poverty-lines#2
20. Fragility and Conflict, On the Front Lines of the Fight against Poverty. 2020 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development /
the World Bank.
21. Global Estimate of Children in Monetary Poverty: An Update (English). Poverty and Equity discussion paper Washington, D.C.: World
Bank Group.
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/966791603123453576/Global-Estimate-of-Children-in-Monetary-Poverty-An-Update
22. Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Databank 2022 developed by Ayush Patel using data by Alkire, Kanagaratnam and
Suppa (2022a and 2022b).Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI).
https://trainingidn.shinyapps.io/OPHIDataBankGlobalComparison/
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