Measurement of multidimensional child poverty in Morocco 2001-2014 : methodology and results

الملخص EN

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.