Abstract

This study, titled “Determinants of Household Poverty in the City-Province of Kinshasa,” examines the key factors influencing household poverty to inform public policy. The objective was to identify the socio-economic characteristics and the physical and financial assets that shape the likelihood of being poor. The analysis is based on a survey of 300 households from Gombe, Bandalungwa, and Kinseso, complemented by data from the 2022–2023 EICVKM. The FGT indices show that 74% of households live below the poverty line, with a poverty depth of 0.358 and severity of 0.191. The ordered logit model reveals that higher education and household income significantly reduce poverty risk. Access to safe water, electricity, decent housing, agricultural inputs, and credit also lowers this probability. The findings highlight the crucial role of human, physical, and financial capital in improving household welfare. The study recommends strengthening education, social infrastructure, financial inclusion, and small economic activities to sustainably reduce urban poverty in Kinshasa.

Keywords

  • Poverty
  • households
  • Kinshasa
  • human capital
  • physical capital
  • financial capital
  • orderly housing

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