Under One Roof:

Unveiling Household Inequalities Through Inclusive, Individual-Level Data

An estimated one-third of global inequality is found within the household.

Green ombre background with palm trees on the sides - decorative.

But what does that really mean?

Poverty, when measured at the household level, often involves surveying one person about the experience of everyone in the household.

However, this approach often overlooks the unique experiences of each person living under the same roof.

We know that individuals experience poverty and inequality differently. That's why it's crucial to measure poverty at the individual level.

This is what Equality Insights does.

By collecting data from all eligible adults in a home, we can provide a more accurate picture of their circumstances. This approach is vital for understanding how various factors—such as gender, age, and disability—shape each person’s experience of poverty and inequality.

Take a look at the example household below, taken from our Equality Insights Rapid Tonga Survey and see how each person experiences poverty and inequality in their own distinct way.

We've collected data at an individual level, in an intersectional, multidimensional way. This means that our data measures 15 key areas of life including social, economic, and environmental dimensions, as well as assets, to reflect experiences of poverty that extend beyond just money.

This is the data of a de-identified urban household in Tonga, collected in 2022.

Based on their combined household assets, this household is of median or average wealth.

Everyone within the house is deprived in the Environment dimension, as their home has been exposed to air and soil pollution, likely related to the volcanic eruption in January 2022.

In particular, this man's daily life has also been severely impacted by natural hazards, most likely due to the intersection with his disability.

This woman is in her 20s. She is the only person in the household to have completed upper secondary education.

She is not in paid employment but is actively looking, so is considered severely deprived in the Work dimension.

This woman is over 70. She helps to care for the children in the house. As she is retired and not seeking paid employment, she is not considered to be deprived in the Work dimension.

She did not finish her secondary education however did finish lower secondary, so is considered moderately deprived in Education.

This woman is a teenager. She too cares for the children and isn't currently in paid work.

She also finished lower, but not upper, secondary education. Like many of her family members she is also considered moderately deprived in Education and Work.

This man is in his 30s. He cares for both the adults and children in his house and has a disability.

He is severely deprived in the Work dimension. Although he is currently working, he reports experiencing physical injury, illness, or mental harm in the last 12 months as a result of paid work, and is looking for new paid employment.

This man always relies on support from people outside the household to meet his basic needs, and only sometimes has these needs met. As such, he is severely deprived in the Relationships dimension.

This man is in his 60s. He helps look after the children and is no longer in paid work.

He completed his primary education.

This woman is in her 50s. She is currently working and cares for both the adults and children in her family.

In addition to moderate Education deprivation, she reports not having enough water to wash during menstruation, and so is severely deprived in the Water dimension.

This question highlights the need for gender-sensitivity in poverty measurement, as otherwise this important insight would have been missing from the data.

These two household members are severely deprived in Energy as they use coconut husks as the primary fuel source when cooking, which is classed as unclean energy.

However, younger family members report using natural gas as their primary fuel source, which is classed as clean energy.

As you can see, while the members of this household have some things in common, each individual is experiencing different deprivations based on their own unique circumstances.

We can see how intersections such as age play a key role, for example, the elder household members use unclean energy, or how important it is to collect insights related to gender, such as how one household member reported not having sufficient water during menstruation.

The data also uncovers how disability intersects with poverty, as can be seen with the man who is severely deprived in the Environment dimension.

If the survey was taken at the household level, we would likely receive an answer that reflects the personal experience of just one person, rather than everyone's personal experiences.

However, by surveying at the individual level, the data reveals the different experiences of individuals and allows for better information about the household overall.

Data like this, which is targeted and specific, is key in helping shape policies and programs that are targeted and specific.

This is the power of inclusive poverty measurement.