Analyzing Multidimensional Poverty Estimates in Mexico From an Ethnic Perspective: A Policy Tool for Bridging the Indigenous Gap

Indigenous people in Mexico are more likely to be disadvantaged and live in poverty than non-indigenous people. To better understand the forms in which indigenous people in Mexico experience poverty, this article reports, from an ethnic perspective, on the findings of multidimensional poverty estimates. The premise guiding this exercise is that the primary purpose of poverty measurement is to provide a continuous assessment of how to better target poverty. The analysis utilizes Alkire and Foster's (AF) specific multidimensional measurement framework. It also employs the Mexican Official Poverty Measure (MPM). Both methods are applied to 2014 data provided by the Mexican National Household Expenditure Revenue Survey (ENIGH) to explore the extent to which the privation of social rights influences the living conditions of Mexico's indigenous poor to better target poverty alleviation efforts. Results showing higher levels of deprivation in the social rights domain for indigenous people than for non-indigenous people reveal the need for the Mexican government to articulate social policies that are specifically designed to tackle the social rights deprivations that the indigenous poor endure.