Unpacking multidimensional poverty in Brazil through a gendered perspective
Abstract
This paper analyzes multidimensional poverty in Brazil by gender, race, and location. A Multidimensional Poverty Index was constructed using eleven indicators (years of schooling, literacy, employment, income, electricity, sanitation, water, garbage collection, cooking fuel, assets, and overcrowding) grouped into four dimensions: education, employment, income, and living standards. Data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) for the period 2004–2015 were used. The results show that women experience higher levels of deprivation than men. They represent most of the poor and face more intense poverty. The situation is particularly severe for Black women, those living in rural areas, and those residing in the Northeast region. Employment and income are the main drivers of multidimensional poverty, highlighting women’s difficulties in transforming education into income.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Andrezza Luiza Batista, Lorena Vieira Costa, Mateus de Carvalho Reis Neves

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