Prevalence and Assessment of Poverty in Narayanganj, Bangladesh: Determinants and Policy Implications for Sustainable Alleviation

Background: Poverty remains a serious challenge in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, with complex socioeconomic and institutional causes. A thorough understanding of poverty from multiple perspectives is crucial for developing effective solutions and enhancing social welfare programs. Objective: This study examines poverty in Narayanganj by analyzing both income levels and broader poverty indicators (MPI) to identify key factors that can guide policy decisions. Methods: The study was conducted from January to June 2025 with 205 carefully selected households. Researchers collected information about family characteristics, earnings, jobs, education, housing conditions, sanitation, healthcare availability, and participation in social welfare programs. Poverty was measured both by income levels and through a multidimensional poverty index. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 29.0, including statistical methods to identify prevalence, patterns, determinants and relationships. Results: This analysis revealed a multifaceted poverty profile within the sample. While 26% households in monetary poverty (below $2.15/day), a larger segment (39.1%) were multidimensionally poor (MPI >0.333), experiencing concurrent deprivations. For this group, the intensity of deprivation was severe at 58%, meaning the poor are, on average, deprived in over half of the indicators. Nearly half of households (47.8 percent) earned less than 15,000 BDT per month, while about one-third (34.1 percent) earned more than 20,000 BDT. The study found that poverty involved multiple challenges, including education gaps (32.5%), healthcare access problems (23.7%), and poor living conditions (41.8%). Important contributing factors included limited education, joblessness, poor housing quality, and lack of access to social welfare programs. Rural families and female-led households faced particularly severe challenges. Conclusion: Poverty in Narayanganj results from interconnected problems in education, employment, and living conditions. Effective solutions should combine job creation, expanded social services, and better housing. These findings can help guide efforts to reduce poverty in line with national development goals.