Measuring Material Deprivation with EU-SILC: Lessons from the Irish Survey

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Measuring Material Deprivation with EU-SILC
Lessons from the Irish Survey

• Christopher T. Whelan and Bertrand Maître

EPUNET Conference, Barcelona, 8-9 May 2006
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Introduction

• 1994-2001, ECHP key source for analysis on social
  exclusion
• 2003 onward, EU-SILC
• Growing interest in multidimensional poverty (CSO
  2005)
• Gain/Loss? with move from
• -ECHP to EU-SILC
• - National Index to EU Common one

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Data and Measures

• EU-SILC 2004
• 5,477 households (14,272 individuals)
• Total Annual Equivalised Disposable Household
  income
• Modified OECD scale (1st adult1,add adult 0.5,
  child 0.3)
• Median Equivalised Income (60 70 )

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Deprivation Dimensions

• 46 indicators in national survey covering various
  dimensions
• Economic Strain (11 items) food, clothing min
  participation into social life (afternoon/evening
  out)
• Consumption Deprivation (19 items) phone,
  pc,video
• Housing Facilities (4 items) bath/shower, hot
  water
• Neighbourhood Environment (5 items) pollution,
  crime
• Health Status of HRP (3 items) own assessment,
  chron illness
• Subjective Economic Pressures (4 items) cope
  with unanticipated expenses,arrears

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EU-SILC Common Deprivation Items (20 items)
Housing Facilities

Economic Strain

• Bath/shower
• Hot water
• Washing machine

• Meat, chicken, fish every second day
• Keeping your home adequately warm
• Car
• Telephone
• Pc
• Week annual holiday away from home
• Coping with unexp expenses
• Debt from ordinary expenses
• Arrears with mortgage, rent, HP

Neighbourhood Env

• Pollution
• Crime, violence, vandalism
• Noise
• Leaking roof damp
• Rooms too dark

Health

• Assessment of health
• Chronic Illness
• Mobility restriction

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EU-SILC Common and Irish Specific Indices
Items in EU-Common Indicator
Items in Irish indicator only

• Car

• Going without Heating

• Shoes

• Telephone

• Roast joint or equivalent

• Pc

• Meals with meat,
• fish or chicken

• New rather than second-clothes

• Holiday away from home

• Warm water proof overcoat

• Inability to cope with unexpected expenses

• Household
• Adequately Warm

• New not Second Hand Furniture

• Debt problems arising
• from ordinary expenses

• Family for drink or meal

• Able to Afford Afternoon/Evening Out

• Arrears relating to mortgage,
• rent or hire purchase

• Presents for family/friends

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Consistent Poverty Measures

• Deprivation measured as
• - EU-SILC common 9 items, threshold 3
• - Irish specific 11 items, threshold 2
• Consistent Poverty defined as
• - Deprived income poor at 70 median income
  line

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Consistent Poverty
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Relationship Between Both Consistent Poverty
Measures
EU-SILC Common, NOT consistently poor
EU-SILC Common, consistently poor
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Odds Ratios of Logistic Regressions of EU-SILC
Common and Irish Specific Consistent Poverty,
Household Socio-Economic Characteristics
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Age Group Composition by Consistent Poverty
Typology
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Housing Tenure Composition by Consistent Poverty
Typology
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EU Common Irish Specific Economic
Vulnerability
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Relationship Between Both Economic Vulnerability
Measures
EU-SILC Common, NOT Economically Vulnerable
EU-SILC Common, Economically vulnerable
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Odds Ratios of Logistic Regressions of EU-SILC
Common and Irish Specific Economic Vulnerability,
Household Socio-Economic Characteristics
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Variations Across Deprivation Dimensions by
Consistent Poverty Economic Vulnerability
EU
IRL
IRL
EU
EU
IRL
IRL
EU
EU
IRL
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Conclusion (1)

• Explore consequences from shift
• ECHP to EU-SILC
• National wider Economic Strain index to an EU
  common restricted one
• Relationship between EU index(9 items) and Irish
  index(11 items)
• Consistent Poverty
• Similarities
• - high overlap,8/10 of the EU consistently poor
  are also on the Irish one
• Differences
• -more young less homeowners in the EU common
  measure

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Conclusion (2)

• Relationship between EU index(9 items) and Irish
  index(11 items) (ctd)
• Economic vulnerability
• - 20 pop vulnerable
• - High similarities between both patterns of
  differentiation
• Combination of Consistent Poverty Economic
  Vulnerability
• Identification of deprivation dimensions
• Better understanding of socio-economic factors
  associated