Measuring Multidimensional Child Poverty in Australia
More for Children is the flagship programme of research at the Children’s Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, which aims to understand, assess and respond to child poverty from a child standpoint.
We all know the headline figure of 1 in 6 children living in income poverty in Australia, a figure projected to worsen due to the increased cost of living pressures. The urgent need to address child poverty has been recognised in a 2024 Senate Community Affairs References Committee Inquiry. A key recommendation was that the Australian Government takes action to reduce child poverty. Currently, Australia does not have an agreed‐upon definition or measure of poverty (for children or adults).
Too often child poverty is measured using proxies (such as household income). While important they often do not adequately reflect what matters to children . Neither reflect children’s perspective or experiences adequately. Therefore, we argue that indicators for measuring child poverty need to be child-centred. When children's experiences of poverty are centred, the nonmaterial dimensions of poverty-such as the opportunities available to children, and the relationships that matter most to children come to fore.
Income Vs Multidimensional Poverty
There is a material core to poverty, such as access to goods and services. In our research with children, they have talked about a lack of money to buy the basics, food insecurity, insecure unaffordable and inadequate housing, being unable to access affordable healthcare and transport. Income and money matter, but it is not the only thing that matters to children. Children have told us that they need opportunities to play, to relax, to participate and be connected to their communities and to learn. They also need strong and supportive relationships, which are often undermined by the stress of poverty. Our research has shown that poverty is multidimensional, and measurement needs to reflect this. Multidimensional measures can inform policy but also reflect what matters most to people, including children.
More for Children: A Child‐Centred Approach to Defining and Measuring Child Poverty
The MOR framework is an approach to defining, measuring, understanding and responding to poverty in Australia in a way that is child-centred. It acknowledges the material core of poverty as well as other dimensions of poverty, which we have identified as an opportunity dimension and relational dimension.
The MOR framework aims to first conceptualise and define poverty before measurement. Based on rights-based, child-centred research with children (6-16 years) in Australia, we developed the following definition of child poverty:
Poverty is the interplay between key material and nonmaterial deprivations, limiting children's choices now and into the future. It means children do not have the material basics, their opportunities are narrowed, and foundational relationships are not in place or are under pressure
Multidimensional poverty indicators
From the child‐centred definition of multidimensional child poverty, we sought to identify the indicators that could allow a measure of child poverty in Australia. We used the three MOR dimensions-Material, Opportunity and Relational and identified themes for each dimension.
Our aim was to determine whether a set of indicators that combine to measure child poverty across the three dimensions of the MOR Framework can be developed from existing data sources throughout Australia. Our findings revealed both an abundance of data and a lack of child‐centred data that is relevant to poverty.
Our More for Children research and the approach to identifying indicators were presented to a group of subject matter experts working on issues of poverty (including child poverty) and child wellbeing in Australia. This workshop complemented the lived experience expertise that has shaped the More for Children research. There was consensus that there is a dearth of child‐centred data in Australia – a challenge for both research and policy, but one that can be overcome.
Where to from here?
There is consensus that Australia needs to adopt a national poverty measure, but children’s experiences cannot be lost in this conversation. The failure to develop a child‐centred measure of multidimensional child poverty in Australia will not only effect children's lives now and into the future, it will also undermine efforts to end the issue of intergenerational poverty in Australia.
The More for Children research has determined a way to conceptualise and define child poverty, positioning Australia favourably to avoid data‐driven measures of multidimensional child povertythat do not meaningfully reflect the experiences of children. The breadth and depth of existing data may not suffice but demonstrate the potential to collect the data needed to create a genuinely child‐centred measure of poverty that will deliver more for children.
Based on: Bessell, S., O'Sullivan, C., Rose, T., Lang, M., & Avrahamzon, T. (2025). Measuring Multidimensional Child Poverty in Australia. Australian Economic Review, 58, S22-S35.
Our thanks to editor Melek Cigdem-Bayram for her support and feedback in developing this article.
Moderator:Colette Einfeld