Go to AfricaBib home

Go to AfricaBib home AfricaBib Go to database home

bibliographic database
Line
Previous page New search

The free AfricaBib App for Android is available here

Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Household expenditure components and the poverty and inequality relationship in Malawi
Author:Mussa, RichardISNI
Year:2014
Periodical:African Development Review (ISSN 1467-8268)
Volume:26
Issue:1
Pages:138-147
Language:English
Geographic term:Malawi
Subjects:household expenditure
poverty
inequality
External link:https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8268.12070
Abstract:The paper looks at how inequality in household expenditure components affects total inequality and poverty in Malawi. Total household expenditure is disaggregated into four mutually exclusive and exhaustive expenditure items, namely expenditure on food, expenditure on health, expenditure on education, and expenditure on non-food and non-human capital items. Using data from the second integrated household survey (IHS2), the author finds that the elasticities of poverty with respect to within-component and between-component inequality are positive, suggesting that an increase within-component and between-component inequality increases overall poverty in Malawi. The results also show that the elasticities of poverty, as measured by the poverty gap and poverty indices, with respect to inequalities in expenditure on food and health are positive and are about the same in magnitude. The results vindicate the exemptions and zero rating of some food, health, and education related goods and services under the Value Added Tax (VAT) system. More importantly, they also suggest that expanding the coverage of zero rating and exemption would have a poverty reducing effect. These findings hold at the national level, as well as when rural and urban areas are treated separately. Additionally, the results are insensitive to choice of poverty line. App., bibliogr., notes, sum. [Journal abstract]
Views
Cover