Multidimensional Child Poverty: A Study Applied to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay

This paper examines the structure, profile, and determinants of multidimensional poverty among children under five in three Latin American countries: Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. This topic is particularly relevant within the Sustainable Development Agenda, as child poverty represents a significant challenge with immediate and long-term effects on children’s well-being. The study highlights overlapping deprivations among specific population subgroups and indicators, offering insights for public policy targeting. It makes three key contributions: explicitly analysing violent discipline as an underreported dimension of child well-being, employing a novel econometric model for poverty determinants and comparing poverty structures across the three countries. Multidimensional poverty indices are calculated using the Alkire-Foster method. Poverty determinants are analysed with logistic regressions and a truncated inflated beta model, employing Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) data. Results show that Paraguay has the highest proportion of poor children and average deprivations, followed by Argentina and Uruguay. Within-country disparities exist across regions and settings, with the dimension of violent discipline contributing most to the adjusted headcount ratio across all countries, except rural Paraguay, where water and sanitation are more significant. Key determinants of child poverty include household wealth and the educational level of the household head. Country-specific factors like regional disparities and demographic characteristics are particularly impactful in Argentina and Paraguay, with rural residence and Indigenous ethnicity increasing risks in Paraguay. Spatial characteristics are less influential in Uruguay and Argentina.