Is growth pro-poor in Benin? evidence using a multidimensional measure of poverty

In recent years, economic development discourse has moved beyond increasing economic growth to ensuring that growth also leads to reduction in poverty and inequality. This motivates the current study to examine the relationship between economic growth and poverty in Benin. We used data from the 2006 and 2011 Benin Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and computed a multidimensional poverty index using the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). Growth pro-poorness was then estimated using the Pro-Poor Growth Rate (PPGR) and Poverty Equivalent Growth Rate (PEGR). The distribution of growth pro-poorness was also analysed using the Growth Incidence Curves (GIC) and Non-Income Growth Incidence Curve (NIGIC). Average multidimensional poverty rate was estimated to be about 55.3%. The findings show that while growth has generally been pro-poor in Benin, there exists disparities across rural and urban households, women as well as the elderly. The findings reinforce the need for broader poverty measures and refocusing poverty reduction strategies to marginalised groups in Benin