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

To meet the Sustainable Development Goals target of ending poverty “in all its forms”, it is critical to monitor progress towards poverty alleviation, including amongst people with disabilities. This research used data from a population-based nested case control studies (n=667) and compares monetary and multidimensional poverty levels amongst people with and without disabilities in the districts of Cam Le, Vietnam and Tanahun, Nepal. Overall, there were no significant differences in incidence of monetary poverty between people with and without disabilities. However, approximately half of people with disabilities were multidimensionally poor in both settings, 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 social protection and other interventions.