Multidimensional poverty in the Baltic states in the EU context: theoretical and practical aspects

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Skurdas; Daugiadimensinis skurdas; Skurdo rizikos vertinimas; Skurdo vertinimo indikatoriai; Latvija; Lietuva; Estija. Keywords: Poverty; Multidimensional poverty; Poverty risk assessment; Poverty assessment indicators; Latvia; Lithuania; Estonia.Reikšminiai žodžiai: Baltijos šalys (Baltic states); Estija (Estonia); Latvija (Latvia); Skurdas; Socialinė atskirtis; Materialinis nepriteklius; Poverty risk; Social exclusion; Material deprivation.

ENThere are several approaches to assessing poverty, namely, the absolute, relative, and subjective ones. They are widely used in studying income dynamics and differentiation at a national level. Yet a new research approach to the study and assessment of ‘multidimensional’ poverty is gaining popularity in developed states. Central to it is the notion of ‘risk of poverty and/or social exclusion’ (AROPE). This approach measures both income level and such non-monetary component as access to social services. Despite the versatility and severity of multidimensional poverty in some European countries, this phenomenon has not been sufficiently explored in socio-economic studies carried out in the Baltic countries of the EU — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. This article aims to identify the characteristics of multidimensional poverty in the Baltic countries and the EU. Its objective is to examine the spread of multidimensional poverty in the Baltic countries and compare it to the situation on a European scale. The work uses Eurostat data. Various indicators suggest that the risk of multidimensional poverty in the Baltic States is above the EU average. [From the publication]