Standardized Survey Bulletin 3 March 2003 The Standardized Survey Bulletin presents key welfare outcome indicators extracted from surveys conducted byAfrican National Statistical Offices (NSOs). The survey data files have been reformat- ted and standardized by the Operational Quality and Knowledge Services Unit of the World Banks Africa Region to facilitate comparisons across and within data sets. Malawi Integrated Household Survey, 1997 M alawi is a relatively small country Poverty reduction with an estimated population of 11 million and a land size (excluding Based on the Integrated Household Sur- inland waters) of approximately 94 thou- vey (IHS), poverty was estimated at 65 per- sand square km. Malawi population ac- cent in 1997. The Millennium Develop- counts for 1.2 percent of total Sub-Saharan ment Goal (MDG) calls for poverty to be Africa population. Life expectancy is ex- halved by 2015. However, the decade of the tremely low at 39 years and a HIV/AIDS 1990s is a lost opportunity, with the aver- (1549 years) prevalence rate of about 16 age GDP per capita growth rate at a low. percent. The focus on poverty and its effects on population started in the late 1990s since no initiatives were well articu- GDP Growth Scenarios and Poverty Reduction lated earlier. As a result, this report 70 Poverty projection based on 5.2% and 6.2% growth rates uses the IHS 1997 poverty as a 65 65.3 17,246 MK benchmark. Starting from 2002, if 60 y 55 Real GDP PRSP targeted the annual GDP growth is 5.2 per- ertvop 50 per capita GDP per capita cent, a target set out by the PRSP, fo 45 11,514 MK poverty will reduce to 42 percent by t 42.0 40 2015. In order to halve poverty by 35 ercen P 30.6 30 2015, GDP growth would have to be 25 Poverty target = 30.6% at an annual rate of 6.2 percent as 20 shown in the figure above. The solid 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 lines show the historical trend, while Data sources: Staff calculation based on MIHS 97 and World Bank the dotted lines indicate the projec- Africa LDB. With the first democratically elected gov- About the Survey ernment in 1994, Malawi embarked on a new development initiative that had pov- Survey sample size 6,586 households 28,946 respondents erty alleviation as the central national Year of survey 1998 Findings policy objective. The government, in con- Survey administration National Statistical Office sultation with stakeholders, prepared the Ministry of Economic Planning and PRSP, dated 04/01/02. The Malawi Poverty Development Reports -Profile of Poverty in Malawi: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (MPRSP) empha- Analysis of the Integrated Household sizes raising national productivity through Survey 1998 sustainable broad-based economic growth -Poverty Monitoring Briefs (8 volumes) and structural transformation, as well as -Integrated Household Survey 1997/98 Contact Commissioner of Statistics sociocultural development. National Statistical Office P.O. Box 333, Zomba, Malawi e-mail: enquiries@statistics.gov.mw Standardized Survey Bulletin The Africa Household Survey Databank and Standardized Survey Files The Africa Household Survey Databank (AHSDB) contains one of the one household level and one individual level data. They provide readily largest collection of household surveys onAfrica in the World. It is main- accessible social and living standards at the national level, as well as at tained by the Bank, but the surveys remain the property of the relevant sub-national levels for different income groups. Once survey data files National Statistical Office (NSO) that carried out the survey. TheAHSDB have been standardized, they can be accessed and queried through currently contains Household Budget Surveys (HBS), Living Standards the World Banks Intranet. The program is still in its development stage, Measurement Surveys (LSMS), Integrated and Priority Surveys (IS and but once completed, the standardized files and indicators will be directly PS), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), and the Core Welfare accessible on the Internet. Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) surveys. The surveys vary greatly in This Standardized Survey Bulletin is one of the products from the SFSI scope and structure, the need to make the data more accessible and program. It provides a description of the key survey findings, which can available in user friendly formats has led to the establishment of the Stan- be used to facilitate the monitoring of a countrys progress towards the dard files and Standard Indicators (SFSI) Project. For more information, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To find out more, visit http:// visit http://www.worldbank.org/afr/poverty/databank on the web. www.worldbank.org/ afr/stats on the web. What are Standard Files and Standard Indicators? What are the Millennium Development Goals? The objective of the SFSI program is to facilitate the monitoring of social The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) have been commonly and economic outcomes of national development programs, such as Pov- accepted as a framework for measuring development progress. The erty Reduction Strategy Papers. Standard files, extracted from house- goals focus efforts on achieving significant, measurable improvements in hold survey data, comprise a common set of core variables. These vari- peoples lives. The first seven goals are directed at reducing poverty in ables have common definitions and can be used to produce needed all its forms. The last goal is about global partnership for development. indicators in real time. Two standard files are produced for each survey, For information, visit: http://www.developmentgoals.org tions based on PRSP target and MDG much higher for the poor than for Ruralurban differences are needs. the nonpoor households. Even large. For rural household heads, though the poorest households in 90 percent had never gone to Characteristics of a typical Malawi rural and urban areas are simi- school or finished primary school; household lar in household size, rural house- for urban areas, 36 percent had holds have a higher age depen- not. Majority heads with second- The average household size in dency than the urban households. ary completed or tertiary educa- Malawi is 4.4. Rural households In both urban and rural areas, tion belong to urban rich house- are on average slightly larger than households are predominantly holds. urban households (4.4 vis-à-vis headed by men with a national 4.1). However, the poorest 20 per- average of 75 percent. Female How much do Malawans spend? cent of households in urban ar- headed households in rural areas eas are as large as the poorest are among the poorest. Disparity in total household expen- rural households. In general, poor The relationship between poverty ditures. Average per capita house- households are significantly and the educational attainment hold incomes (adjusted for re- larger in size than nonpoor of the household head is signifi- gional price differences) were households where the average cant. For the country as a whole, around MK 431 per month in household size in poor households 95 percent of household heads in 1997, but this masked massive is 5.3 persons compared to 3.6 the poorest quintile had either no variations between groups. For persons in the richest quintile. education or failed to complete the country as a whole, the rich- The ratio of dependents to work- primary education. est households spent more than ing-age people (aged 15 to 64) is eleven times that of the poorest 2 Malawi Integrated Household Survey, 1997 households. When a separation is Food security. Poor households a need to replace a farm tool, made between urban and rural commit a much higher share of would squeeze the already low food households, the differences are their expenditures to food than consumptions. even more extreme, with the nonpoor households. The ex- Rural-urban differences are ex- poorest rural households averag- tremely high share of food expen- tremely large, where rural house- ing only MK 91 per month, com- ditures (78 percent) among rural holds spend nearly twice as much pared with the wealthiest urban poor households indicates a very proportionally of their income on households, who consumed MK low level of food security. Any food. The urban nonpoor spend 3,820 per monthalmost 40 shocks, such as temporary ill- only 26 percent on food, implying times as much. ness of a family member or even a high nonfood consumption. 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On average, Very few children from poor house- However, correlation between an- households spent 0.5 percent of holds attend secondary schools, thropometric indicators and ex- their expenditures on education, particularly in rural areas. The penditure level is not strong but the rich spent more propor- net secondary enrollment ratio is among urban areas, but strong tionally than the nonrich, indicat- 1 percent for the rural poor, while among rural households. ing a significantly higher invest- it is 30 percent for the urban Stunting levels are extremely ment in the next generation nonpoor. Being poor predicts that high (about 56 percent) across among the rich than among the the chances of going to secondary quintile groups and by area of poor. school remain low and are re- residence. The high incidence of Health care. Health expenditures served mainly for the nonpoor. malnutrition, even among are low. On average, households By area of residence, a large gap nonpoor households, implies that spend less than 1 percent of exists between rural and urban other factors beyond consumption household expenditures on adult literacy rates, at 47 percent may affect child nutrition. health, with negligible difference and 85 percent, respectively. A Immunization coverage is quite between nonpoor and poor house- higher percentage of male lit- high by SSA standards, at almost holds. eracy among adults indicates a 90 percent. Rural children are Proportionally, urban households past gender bias against girls in less covered than the urban chil- spend twice as much on health education. dren, and poor children have less care as rural households. Given Literacy rates among 1524 years coverage than the rich children. the much higher expenditure are much higher than the adult Among urban rich households, level in urban areas, this means literacy rate, indicating a recent 100 percent of children are fully that rural households spent very success in promoting primary immunized. little on health care. education. However, there is a big gender gap among all groups, ex- Who has access to safe drinking Do poor rural, children and females cept the urban rich, which is water? have educational opportunities? highly biased towards the males and by area of residence. Access to safe drinking water is At the primary level, poor chil- primarily determined by the area dren, regardless of whether they Does poverty determine the of residence. While only 45 per- live in urban or rural areas, are incidence of morbidity? cent of the rural population has less likely to attend school than access to safe drinking water nonpoor children. The cycle of Self reported illness has distinct (pipe, pipe-borne, and protected poverty will certainly prevent the regional features. Among rural well), 90 percent of urban house- next generation from escaping households, the rich are much holds have such access. This im- poverty if access to education is more likely to report illness than plies that rural households are not improved. The net primary en- the poor, while in urban areas more prone to waterborne dis- rollment ratio (NPER) must in- there is virtually no differences. eases. crease by about 3 percent per year However, while the poor may likely Urban areas have very good ac- for poor children to achieve uni- feel sick, they may not classify cess to piped water (82 percent); versal enrollment by 2015. themselves sick. needless to say, such access is No discrimination against girls Rural households are more prone extremely low in rural areas (20 exists at the primary level, with to sickness than urban house- percent). girls having actually higher en- holds. The self-reported morbidity rollment rates, especially among is much higher among rural than How do households ensure the poorest households. However, among urban population (29 vs. 16 environmental sustainability? there is a significant bias by area percent). of residence, with the rural en- Firewood is the main source of rollment ratio being 57 percent Does poverty affect child fuel for rural residents, (97 per- and urban being 69 percent. malnutrition? cent). For urban residents, fire- The ruralurban gap in secondary wood (49 percent), electricity (27 enrollment ratio is significant. On average, the poor are more percent), and charcoal (18 per- Net secondary enrollment ratio is likely to suffer from stunting and cent) are the predominant 2 percent among rural children, underweight (59 percent, 32 per- sources of fuel. For urban nonpoor, versus 16 percent among urban cent vis-à-vis 53 percent, 23 per- 61 percent of them use electric- children. cent for the nonpoor, respectively). ity as the main fuel. 4 Malawi Integrated Household Survey, 1997 ([SHQGLWXUH 4XLQWLOH 1DWLRQDO 5XUDO 8UEDQ 8QLW RI 3RRUHVW 5LFKHVW 3RRUHVW 5LFKHVW 3RRUHVW 5LFKHVW 0HDVXUH $OO $OO $OO ,QGLFDWRUV 0'* (GXFDWLRQ DQG /LWHUDF\ 0'* 3URPRWH *HQGHU (TXDOLW\ $FFHVV WR SULPDU\ VFKRRO ZLWKLQ PLQXWHV 3HUFHQW 1HW SULPDU\ HQUROOPHQW UDWH 7RWDO 3HUFHQW 0DOH 3HUFHQW )HPDOH 3HUFHQW 1HW VHFRQGDU\ HQUROOPHQW UDWH 7RWDO 3HUFHQW 0DOH 3HUFHQW )HPDOH 3HUFHQW 7HUWLDU\ HQUROPHQW UDWH SHU 7RWDO SHU $GXOW OLWHUDF\ UDWH 7RWDO 3HUFHQW 0DOH 3HUFHQW )HPDOH 3HUFHQW