Does disability increase the risk of poverty ‘in all its forms’? Comparing monetary and multidimensional poverty in Vietnam and Nepal

Ending poverty “in all its forms” is central to the fulfilment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve this aim, it is critical to monitor progress towards poverty alleviation amongst groups at risk of exclusion, such as people with disabilities. Consequently, this research compares monetary and multidimensional poverty levels amongst people with and without disabilities in the districts of Cam Le, Vietnam and Tanahun, Nepal. The research used data from a population-based nested case control studies (n=667) and applied both monetary and multidimensional indicators of poverty. Overall, there were no significant differences in monetary poverty between people with and without disabilities, although the median household per capita income was approximately a third less for people with disabilities compared to people without disabilities. However, approximately half of all people with disabilities were multidimensionally poor in both settings, which was twice as frequent as compared to people without disabilities. Amongst people with disabilities, multidimensional poverty was associated with having a functional limitation affecting cognition and self-care, disability severity and younger age. The high incidence of multidimensional poverty amongst people with disabilities even in the absence of monetary poverty indicates a need for diverse social protection and other poverty alleviation interventions beyond cash transfers.