Poverty and Inequalities in Child Welfare Outcomes in South Africa: An analysis of panel data

• Start date: 01 February 2012
• End date: 17 May 2013

This project will establish a network of demographers, economists and social policy researchers based in the UK and South Africa. The aim of the network is to investigate factors associated with child welfare using data from South Africa’s National Income Dynamics Study. This longitudinal study collects rich economic, social and demographic data on households. The welfare outcomes that will be investigated are child mortality; children's nutritional status; and attainment at school. These outcomes have important implications for children's cognitive development and the future skills of the labour force.

Rather little previous research on child mortality and health in low- and middle-income countries has directly measured the impact of money-metric poverty on children’s welfare because few studies have collected both detailed income or expenditure data and detailed information on child health and mortality. This study will refocus attention on measuring inequalities in child health, welfare and mortality associated with poverty itself. In doing so, we intend to demonstrate that conventionally used dimensions of child well-being fail to adequately describe the contours of child deprivation. As a result, current policies do not adequately target the neediest beneficiaries appropriately.