Measuring hardship and economic security
Poverty, Inequality, and Social Protection in Liberia
Liberia Civic economy and development collection
Poverty is not only a shortage of cash. It can include food insecurity, unsafe housing, limited education and health care, lack of electricity or sanitation, insecure land, unemployment, disability-related barriers, and exposure to shocks.
Different poverty measures
A national poverty line reflects country-specific prices and consumption standards. International poverty lines support comparison across countries. Multidimensional or non-monetary measures examine overlapping disadvantages. These indicators answer different questions and should not be substituted for one another.
Geography and inequality
National averages can hide major differences between Monrovia and other urban areas, rural communities, counties, sexes, age groups, people with disabilities, and livelihood systems. Maps and rankings require confidence intervals, survey dates, and sample information.
Food security and vulnerability
Households may move into or out of hardship because of crop losses, illness, inflation, unemployment, displacement, flooding, commodity prices, or family obligations. Seasonal hunger and coping strategies may not appear fully in annual income figures.
Social protection
Cash transfers, school feeding, public works, pensions, disability support, health programs, and emergency assistance can reduce risk. Program reporting should identify eligibility, geographic coverage, payment value, funding period, complaints systems, and verified recipients.
Growth and distribution
Economic growth can occur while many households see little improvement. Liberia Civic will compare growth with per-person income, employment quality, prices, public services, poverty, and the distribution of benefits.
Sources
- LISGIS: Census thematic reports, including non-monetary poverty
- World Bank: Liberia Poverty Assessment
- Jobs, Livelihoods, and the Informal Economy
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Indicators change as new surveys, censuses, administrative data, and revised methods become available. Always read a figure with its year, definition, geography, and source.